


an adventure like no other

by inlovewithimpossibility



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Angst, Anxiety, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Fear, Fluff, Hostage Situations, Kidnapping, Minor Character Death, Non-Graphic Violence, Panic, Panic Attacks, Post-Season/Series 03, Pregnancy, Unplanned Pregnancy, Violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-12-22
Updated: 2020-11-22
Packaged: 2021-02-25 22:35:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 72,428
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21903106
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/inlovewithimpossibility/pseuds/inlovewithimpossibility
Summary: During their road trip in the summer of 2015, it's not food poisoning that ails Felicity in Thailand, but it's not helping the team either. It seems their road trip bliss has carried Oliver and Felicity away and now they're facing an adventure they were never expecting.[a post-s3/s4 canon divergence, unplanned pregnancy fic]
Relationships: Oliver Queen/Felicity Smoak
Comments: 480
Kudos: 672





	1. Thailand: Curious Case of Food Poisoning

**Author's Note:**

  * For [AlexiaBlackbriar13](https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlexiaBlackbriar13/gifts).



> Welcome to my newest multi-chapter! I wanted to post the first chapter of this before Christmas (see why below) but the rest will be posted to a schedule in the new year so keep an eye on my twitter (@smoaksmile) to stay updated on that! 
> 
> This one is for Lexi who I'm wishing very Happy Holidays! You're an absolute gem of a human and I'm so glad to have gotten to know you this year. From inspiring stories just like this one to just listening to me complain about uni, you're an utter delight. Thank you for writing and sharing your incredible talent with us all but mostly thank you for being an incredible friend! I love you and I promise we'll manage that hour and a half train journey sometime soon 😉 I hope you enjoy the start of this! 💚

Thailand is beautiful. Truly paradise on earth.

Chiang Mai, where they’re staying, is filled with so much history and culture and Oliver has been so happy in the few days they’ve spent here.

 _Okay, that might have more to do with his companion than the city,_ Oliver thinks as they stroll down the road back to their hotel after dinner. They step for step, hands entwined and swinging between them. She’s so much smaller than him in her flat sandals and there’s a light spring to her step that widens the content smile on his face.

Truthfully, he’s been happier than he thinks he’s ever been since they left Starling City and that’s all down to Felicity.

She’s incredible.

Of course, he already knew that, but it’s something entirely different to know her in the way he’s learning to now. To be the person she confides in, who she turns to for comfort, who she’s entirely herself with… it’s more than Oliver could have ever dreamed of.

“You’re staring.”

Felicity’s sing song tone drags Oliver out of his pondering and he smiles at her, gently tugging her closer by their entwined hands.

“I can only stop staring, if you can get less beautiful.” He tells her softly, looping their entwined hands over her shoulder in a sudden need to hold her closer. His fingers brush against the smooth skin of her shoulder and he bends his neck to press a kiss to the top of her head.

“You’re quite the charmer tonight. Are you looking for something, Mr. Queen?” Felicity smirks, wiggling her eyebrows and Oliver snorts out a laugh.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about Miss Smoak? I’m an utter gentleman.”

It’s Felicity’s turn to snort as they round the corner to their resort. She grins up at him, slipping out of his embrace to dart up the stairs ahead of him. Oliver loses his breath as she turns back over her shoulder to smile at him. Her hair flies out as she spins and for a moment, it’s almost as if this entire paradise was built just to match her beauty.

Dear lord, he’s so in love with her.

“Come on Mr. Queen, I think it’s time for you to show me how much of a gentleman you are not.”

Oh…

Well, that’s an offer Oliver cannot refuse. 

* * *

Felicity is happy.

Completely and utterly and incandescently…

Okay, she would be completely and utterly and incandescently happy if her body would pay attention to how happy her mind is.

Everything is absolutely perfect. Her and Oliver are learning every detail about each other. Their days are filled with the longest conversations where Felicity discloses information she’s never told _anyone_ and their nights extend into a learning of a different kind, their bodies becoming one in what feels like a new place every night.

She’s seen so much of the world in the past couple of months, her heart feels utterly content.

But being doubled over the toilet basin in their hotel bathroom whilst she upends what feels like everything she’s eaten in the past week?

That’s not exactly what she was hoping for after driving off into the sunset.

She’s in total paradise, literally and figuratively, and she’s spending her morning bent over a toilet basin.

Absolutely joyous.

“Felicity?”

Felicity groans at the sound of Oliver’s voice and she winces as the light hits her eyes when she turns her head to see him stood in the doorway.

“Oh god…” She moans aloud as the bright lights of the hotel room make her head pound and she turns back toward the toilet.

“Do you feel sick again?” Oliver questions and she groans again as she feels him drop to his knees behind her. His hand rubs over her back and it’s nice, it’s really nice, but…

“No, I just… this is kind of the opposite of attractive, Oliver.” She sighs and braves a look back at him that she immediately regrets. His face practically melts, gaining that softness that has always been her weakness, and she can’t stop the way she shudders as he reaches out with the most tender of touches to tuck her hair behind her ear.

“Honey…” He shakes his head with a small smile and the way he cups her cheek has her nuzzling into the warmth of his palm despite her reservations about him seeing her like this.

She looks a state, she can see her reflection in the glass of the shower behind him. She’s far paler than usual, almost ashen, and her hair is a state.

Pretty much the complete opposite of how one should look in a romantic paradise…

“I’m serious, Oliver. You didn’t sign up to watch me throw up. Please just go back into the bedroom. I'll be out in a bit." She pleads, reluctantly tearing herself away from his gentle touch. She watches the struggle play out on his face.

It’s funny, for someone that others find so difficult to read, Felicity has rarely struggled to know what Oliver’s feeling. He may not have as obvious cues as some others but she’s never really _struggled_ to read him. Like now, she can tell by the softness around his eyes that he wants to stay and the clench of his jaw that he’s unsure how to tell her that. After a moment, his jaw relaxes and his brow furrows as he adjusts himself on his knees.

"Is that really what you want? Because if it is, I'll go. But if it's just something where you're embarrassed for me to see you throwing up, then I'm staying here. I didn’t just sign up for the good bits, I’m here for the bad parts too."

Felicity, for the first time this morning, is almost glad she’s not feeling great. At least it gives her an excuse for the way her eyes water in response to the combination of his words, soft tone, and just… the _love_ written all over his face.

She swallows heavily, ignoring the way it makes her stomach surge, and takes a deep breath, biting her lip for a moment.

"Oliver…"

"Felicity…" He matches her tone in a teasing way, tilting his head as he levels her with a look. It makes her smile and she’s still not over the way he looks when he smiles back at her. Carefree, affectionate, peaceful…

It’s all she’s ever wanted from him.

"Ugh fine, I don't want you to go." She relents, leaning her weight back onto him so that her shoulder presses into his breastplate. He chuckles and she sighs as she feels his gentle kiss in her hair.

"Thought so. You're quite predictable, you know?" He tells her with an affectionate smirk, scrunching his nose in a way that really shouldn’t be that attractive as he leans towards her.

"I…"

She can't complete her defense of herself because she’s bending back over the basin. Immediately Oliver's body language behind her softens and his hands gently bat hers out of the way so that he can hold her hair out of the way.

"It's okay, just let it out, honey. You're okay, I've got you." He tells her softly, his free hand rubbing circles over her back and she tries to concentrate on that, rather than the abysmal feeling of vomiting.

“Lord, I really hate being ill.” She slumps back against him when she finally finishes, feeling as if there’s nothing left in her stomach at all.

“I know, sweetheart. I’m sorry.” Oliver replies gently and Felicity can hear the misery in his voice too. His hand moves gently up her arm soothingly as his other reaches up to flush the evidence of her sickness away before dropping to shield her face as the toilet roars to life.

“I didn’t even eat anything that unusual last night.” She sighs pathetically, turning to nuzzle her face in his shoulder and he hums in agreement, one of his hands slipping into her hair. His nails scrape across her scalp in the most delectable of ways and she has to resist the urge to purr at the sensation.

“It might just be everything catching up with you. It’s okay, you’re okay.” He promises and Felicity sighs, sinking into his soothing touch and reassuring words. She feels safe and warm, and she thinks if she does have to be so horrifically ill, at least he’s here with her.

They stay there for a while, Felicity hiding her face from the lights in his chest. Her nose nuzzles against his bare skin and she allows herself to melt into him.

“Do you think you’re done?” Oliver asks her after a while, keeping his voice low and soft. Felicity groans but nods. She lets out a small squeak as she suddenly moves but Oliver is as tender and careful as he has been all morning as he lifts her into his arms and carries her back to the soft sheets of the bed.

Felicity sighs comfortably into the linen, stretching her legs and arms after being cramped over the basin for so long, and she hears Oliver chuckle, causing her to crack open an eye. “Are you laughing at me?”

It comes out far whinier than she anticipated and Oliver smirks affectionately down at her. She should be annoyed but he leans over and brushes a kiss over her forehead before pulling the sheet over her. “You’re just too darn adorable.”

She pouts at that, but he smiles, ducking to kiss her. She turns her head away at the last moment, causing him to hit her cheek instead, and it’s his turn to pout as he pulls back, meeting her eyes with a questionable look. He looks a little like a lost puppy and it’s adorable.

“We don’t know what’s wrong with me. I might be contagious!” She insists, reaching up to trace her fingers over his lips with a melancholic sigh. Lord, she wants to kiss him, he’s beautiful, but the last thing she wants is to infect him with whatever the heck this is.

“I think we’re in close enough quarters for that to be a problem even without kissing but okay.” He smirks, shaking his head in amusement. “I’m going to grab you some water and maybe some tea, okay?”

“Thank you.” She sighs gently, reaching after him as he pulls away. He smiles, grabbing her fingers and pressing a gentle kiss to her knuckles.

“The good times and the bad parts, yeah?”

* * *

Oliver tries to not let Felicity being sick worry him too much. They're in a new place, eating a cuisine they’re not used to, he should just suppose that it's one of those things.

Realistically, he knows that. But the thought of her struggling, the thought of her being in pain… it hurts him.

 _In my soul,_ Felicity would say.

He forces himself to not get too freaked out as her sickness continues over the next few days. He’s there for her as much as he can be, he’s just glad she’ll let him be. He doesn’t know what he’d do if he just had to watch her suffer from afar.

He forces himself to remain positive and think that it’s just a case of food poisoning.

That is until the smell of coffee sets her off.

Coffee is her lifeblood; it might even rank higher than him and her attachment to it runs extremely deep. Never once before when she's been ill has the smell of coffee made her be sick.

Until now.

He’s not proud of turning to the internet. He knows it’s how you end up thinking you or your loved ones have cancer when they’ve really just got a slight cold but he doesn’t know what else to do. Felicity won’t go to the pharmacy, claiming she’ll feel better soon, she apparently ‘knows it’.

WebMD doesn’t tell him she has cancer. It does however suggest a brain aneurysm and well, that’s not a particularly nice thought.

He’s still thinking about it when his phone rings, lighting up with his sister’s contact information. Felicity’s in the other room, she’s not asleep but he’s trying to keep the noise down to reduce the headache that’s also been plaguing her so he moves into the small kitchen area of their suite.

From there, he can see straight through to where Felicity’s curled up in the bed, doing something on her tablet. The blankets are pulled up tight around her and he can just see her face peeking out, still far paler than usual. He’s glad she’s relaxing but he still feels awful that she’s feeling so bad. 

“Hey Speedy.” He speaks as he answers, looking out the window to the pool and the beautiful landscape behind it.

“Hi Ollie! How’s Thailand? That is where you are now, right? It’s hard to keep track.”

The sound of Thea’s voice calms him considerably. He misses her something crazy, and the others on the team. To be honest though, that’s about the only thing he misses about Starling. The familiarity of it all is nostalgic but he can’t say he has any immediate desire to head back to the world he and Felicity left behind.

“Yeah, we’re in Thailand. It’s beautiful, really gorgeous but we haven’t really made it out much.” He explains, only catching the other possible interpretation of his words when Thea pretends to vomit.

“Gross, Ollie. I’m really happy you’re happy and all that but I do _not_ need the details of your sex life. I’m still your baby sister.” She insists vehemently and Oliver shakes his head with a small chuckle, letting the mirth settle into him and diminish his worry just a little.

“That’s not what I meant. Felicity’s not very well.” He elaborates, glancing through the rooms and lowering his voice a little even though he can see that Felicity hasn’t stirred from his vantage point.

“Oh! I’m sorry. What kind of not very well?” Thea’s tone turns immediately to sympathetic and Oliver sighs, running his fingers through his hair.

“I’m not too sure, and she won’t let me find out. She swears it’s going to pass but she’s been saying that for the past three days.” He huffs, leaning back against the counter. He listens to Thea huff out a chuckle and can picture her affectionately shaking her head.

“She may have just eaten something bad, don’t let it stress you out if she’s not worried.” Thea tells him and Oliver takes a deep breath, trying to slow his breathing.

“Yeah, too late.” He mumbles, brushing a hand over his eyes. He takes a deep breath, shaking his head, but his worry from what he just read sneaks in and the worry stresses him out again. “I’m really worried about her, Thea. I think she might be really sick. I’ve been googling her symptoms...”

“Well you know that’s never a good idea. Did WebMD tell you she has cancer?” Thea interrupts and even though he can’t see her face, his sister’s disapproving tone is clear to Oliver.

“A brain aneurysm, actually.” He corrects her and he hears her sigh heavily. He can imagine her shaking her head and the affectionate look she gives him which tells him he’s said something senseless.

“What are her symptoms?” Thea asks in a very ‘no nonsense’ tone which has Oliver frowning.

“When did you get a PhD?” He questions and hears his sister snorting. To be honest, even talking about it with Thea is helping to calm him, even if he is incredibly worried about his girlfriend still.

“Ollie...”

“Fine. She’s had a bad headache for about two days and she’s been sporadically vomiting.” Oliver explains and the silence that follows terrifies him. What if his research is right? He won’t lose Felicity. He _can’t._

“I don’t think that’s a brain aneurysm, Ollie. She might have just eaten something bad.” Thea finally replies and Oliver sighs.

“For three days?” He questions, pursing his lips. He knows Thea’s trying to help and he feels a little guilty when he hears her long sigh.

“Is it constant?” She asks and Oliver frowns, looking back towards the bedroom.

Felicity’s rolled over so he can’t see her face but the mass of blonde curls assures him that she’s still there.

“No, but she’s very tired and run down. She’s vomiting pretty much always when she wakes up and the smells of anything too strong seems to set her off as well.” Oliver describes, thinking of the coffee and the way she reacted to the cheese the resort brought in last night.

“Put her on the phone.” Thea suddenly announces and Oliver furrows his brow.

“Pardon?”

“Give your phone to Felicity.” His sister repeats and Oliver takes a deep breath.

“Speedy...” He tries but it appears that Thea is not taking no for an answer.

“Phone, Ollie.” She insists and Oliver shakes his head, pushing off the counter and heading towards the bedroom.

He just hopes Felicity’s not too groggy.

* * *

Felicity is sick of feeling like crap.

It’s been three days of an almost constant headache that often borders on a migraine and more vomiting than she thinks she’s ever managed. She can’t even imagine what it is that she’s expelling from her body anymore seeing as she’s barely consumed anything past water and tea for the past few days.

She’s very bored as well. To be in paradise but not be able to explore is one of the most frustrating experiences Felicity has ever had and she feels awful that she’s keeping Oliver cooped up as well.

Oliver… Felicity thinks she might have fallen in love with him even deeper these past few days. He’s been utterly perfect, never even the slightest bit grumpy with her despite the fact that he’s essentially been waiting on her hand and foot.

“F’licity?”

Speak of the angel…

“Hmm?” Felicity questions, turning away from the episode of Doctor Who she’s watching to see Oliver stood there with his phone in his hand and an apologetic smile on his face. She pauses the episode and sits up, looking between him and the phone with a curious expression.

“It’s Thea. She wants to talk to you.” He explains and Felicity frowns. The only time she’s spoken to Thea alone is when the young woman has called her, asking her to do something for the team. She can’t imagine Thea would try and contact her for the team through Oliver though, they’ve both been very insistent that he deserves the break they’ve taken.

“Oh.” She frowns but Oliver clearly mistakes her confusion for reluctance because he immediately covers the microphone of his cell.

“I can tell her no if you’re not up to it.” He insists with a soft frown and Felicity reassures him with a smile, shaking her head.

“I can talk. It’s okay.” She assures him as she sits up properly, reaching for the phone.

“Okay. I’ll just be through there if you need me.” He promises and his soft smile has Felicity’s stomach flipping in the good way.

“Okay.” She smiles, taking the phone from him as he hands it over.

“I love you.” He tells her softly, pressing a hand to the headboard to hold his weight as he lingers over her.

“I love you too.” She sighs contently, tracing her fingers over the stubble that is finally growing back on his gorgeous face. He presses a very tender kiss to her lips much to her chagrin, pulling back with a smirk before she can complain about spreading her germs. He heads towards the door, winking at her as he disappears around the corner and she sighs contently as she lifts the phone to her ear. “Hi Thea.”

“Have you taken a pregnancy test?”

Felicity freezes, the fuzziness from Oliver’s kiss quickly falling. She can’t quite process Thea’s words, especially because of how quickly she jumped into it.

“Pardon?” She questions, shaking her head and rubbing her hand over her eyes to try and clear her head.

“A pregnancy test. Ollie’s worried you have a brain aneurysm but your symptoms sound like something else to me.” Thea elaborates and Felicity takes a deep breath as she attempts to take in everything coming out of sort-of-friend’s mouth.

“Oliver’s worried I have a brain aneurysm?” She questions, craning to try and see Oliver from the bed but it seems that he’s gone outside. She knows he’s been worried about her but this is the first she’s heard of a brain aneurysm theory. And well, it’s a lot easier to talk about that than the other thing Thea’s suggesting.

“He googled your symptoms.” Thea offers as a form of explanation and Felicity sighs with a shake of her head. She loves the internet but even she knows that you don’t ask it about your symptoms.

“Thea, I’m not pregnant.” Felicity insists. She’s not, she can’t be. She and Oliver have only been together a few months and, as happy as they are, there’s no way they’re ready for a kid. Especially considering they’re around 8,000 miles from home.

“Are you sure? Have you been using protection?” Thea questions and Felicity frowns. They haven’t been the most careful, she’ll admit. The past few months have been a real whirlwind and she and Oliver have been so wrapped up in each other, often so consumed by their feelings, that protection has been the last thing on their mind.

“Well no but my pill... oh frack.” She starts before freezing. She can’t remember the last time she took her pill.

How the hell could she have forgotten about her pill?

She’s taken it every day since college. It’s a part of her routine, how on earth could she just stop?

“Felicity?” Thea’s worried voice sounds in her ear and Felicity blinks, having forgotten about the phone call for a moment. 

“I... my pill... it... how could I forget about my pill?” She stutters, still utterly baffled she could have been so wrapped up in Oliver to have forgotten something as important as her birth control.

“Felicity, it’s okay. These things happen. But I think you know you need to check.” Thea tells her and she somehow manages to be firm and supportive. Felicity takes a deep breath but her mind is still whirling.

This… it can’t be true, right?

They just left the city, she just inherited a multi-billion-dollar company from her dead ex-boyfriend, they’ve barely discovered who they are in this new relationship…

“Thea, I can’t be pregnant. I just... I can’t be. I’m not.” She insists, shaking her head.

“Take a pregnancy test, Felicity. And give my brother a hug from me.” Thea’s tone is more stern this time and it seems to be what Felicity needs as her deep breath proves more successful this time. Her mind clears a little and she blinks.

“I... okay.” She mumbles. It can’t hurt to check, right?

Oh god, if she is pregnant, are the next nine months going to be this miserable?

“Felicity?”

“Hmm?” Felicity swallows, her voice a little too high to pass her off as being okay.

“Don’t freak out. It’ll be okay.” Thea tells her and Felicity frowns.

“Right. Don’t freak out.”

Felicity can’t help but feel that’s a little easier said than done.

_Frack._

She needs to find a pharmacy, stat.

Oh lord, maybe after another trip to the bathroom.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity confirms Thea's suspicions and shares the news with Oliver.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I'm so excited to share this chapter with you all! Please let me know what you think in the comments or click kudos if you enjoy it. Thank you so much for reading!

The sound of the timer on her phone ringing makes Felicity jolt in her position on the floor of the hotel bathroom.

“Ow!” She yells as her head bashes into the sink, her hand flying up to rub the spot. The ringing continues, filling the small room and Felicity grimaces, attempting to ignore the feeling in the pit of her stomach.

Her hands shake as she reaches up to turn off the alarm, missing the button a few times as her fingers tremble.

It had been quite the feat to get out of the room and to the pharmacy without Oliver following. He was having none of her attempts to explain that she’d be fine and she just needed to pick up some medication from the pharmacy. He’d insisted she went back to bed and that he’d grab whatever she needed and she does have to admit that her heart soared in affection for him when he returned not only with the medication she’d fabricated needing but also almost a gallon of juice and a very cute stuffed toy in the shape of an elephant. The way in which he’d held it up to his face with a soft pout and claimed it was to keep her company when he couldn’t made her heart wrench and she felt terrible about resorting to sneaking out whilst he worked out by the pool, thinking she’d gone back to bed.

Her head had spun on the short walk to the pharmacy and she couldn’t concentrate her eyes well enough to read the difference between the brands of the pregnancy tests on the shelf in front of her so she’d resorted to buying one of them all. She also thinks she grossly over paid at the cashier, throwing one of the large notes they hadn’t yet split at the attendant and thanking him loudly before stumbling her way back.

Oliver had thankfully still been working out when she returned and she locked herself in the bathroom then, grateful she’d drank quite a bit of the juice Oliver brought back as she went about her task.

“This is ridiculous. I’ve stared Ra’s Al Ghul down, I can stand up and look in the sink.” She mutters under her breath, taking several large gulps of air.

She knows that it’s ridiculous to be so worried. It’s probably nothing, right? She must just have food poisoning, there’s no other explanation for it. The tests will be negative, she’ll feel back to normal in a couple of days and she and Oliver can get back to enjoying themselves.

Fortifying herself with the thought, she nods determinedly and uses her arms to pull herself up. Her breaths are shuddery and her steps shaky as she approaches the sink but she approaches it nonetheless, meeting her own reflection in the mirror.

“Everything’s going to be fine.” She reassures herself quietly, nodding again before she finally forces her eyeline down and freezes.

Each test varies slightly in how they deliver the news, some lines, some crosses, some words, but all of them read the same result, the short white sticks staring up at her in solidarity as they seal her fate.

_She’s pregnant._

Holy hell.

There’s a legitimate life inside her right now. She’s growing another human. That’s…

Lord, she needs to sit down.

The ceramic of the toilet seat is cold on the bare skin of her thighs and she takes a deep, shaky breath as she desperately tries to process what she’s just found out.

She needs a doctor, and a blood test, to know for sure. There might be more than ten positive tests in the sink right now but Felicity knows they’re fallible. She can’t know for sure until a doctor confirms it but still…

A _baby_.

Her hand moves to cup her flat stomach almost of her own accord. It’s ridiculous to think that she’d be able to feel anything, to have any exterior sign this early in the game, but as her fingers push under her tank top to rest on the bare skin of her stomach, she can’t help but calm a little.

There’s a child in there, her child… No, her and _Oliver’s_ child.

Frack, that’s weird to think about.

Oliver…

What the hell is he going to think?

The past few months have been beautiful, idyllic even, but they’re hardly stable, hardly even a proper couple. A life on the road is no life for a pregnant woman, and it’s certainly not one for a child but Oliver has been so happy. Would he hate her for dragging him away from a life where he’s finally found peace?

Or worse, would he leave her, not wanting to be tied down so soon after escaping a life that held him hostage for three years?

The soft tapping of a knock on the door draws Felicity out of her thoughts, only to cause her to freeze once more as Oliver’s soft and caring voice travels through the closed door. “Felicity, honey, are you alright in there?”

“I… I…” She stumbles out, her gaze flicking between the white wood and the sink. She should move, maybe hide the tests, but she feels as if she’s stuck on the toilet lid, unable to move for love or money.

“Felicity?” Oliver asks again and she takes a shaky breath as the door rattles when tries to open it. The sound of his voice, so gentle and tender, makes her eyes fill with tears. She can’t fathom a world without it filling her days and nights and she’s so terrified that once he finds this out, the tentative balance they’ve found over these past months will come tumbling down around her.

A shiver runs down her back as a sob wracks its way through her body and she draws her knees into her chest as she attempts to find some warmth in the white walls of the clinically decorated bathroom. As she curls in on herself, she briefly notes that she’s drawing herself closer to her baby, if those tests prove to be true, and another sob hits her as a protective wave washes through her brain.

“Felicity, I’m going to open the door, okay?” Oliver’s voice sounds once more and she feels completely helpless as she listens to him jimmy open the door from the other side. Finally, the whoosh of the sliding door sounds and the warm summer air floods the room. Felicity chances a look up and sees Oliver stood there in his cargo shorts and nothing else but a deeply concerned look. “Honey, what’s wrong? Hey, look at me, it’s okay, you’re okay.”

Oliver’s voice remains gentle as he lowers himself to his knees in front of the toilet and reaches up, wrapping his arms gently around her.

“I… Oliver…” She shudders out, leaning into the warmth of his embrace. His presence and soft caress of his hand across her back calm her considerably but it still doesn’t stop her heart hammering as she nuzzles her nose into his bare chest.

“I’m here, baby.” He tells her and Felicity can’t help the way she hisses at the term of endearment. Oliver clearly mistakes it for a sniffle as he ducks his head to softly kiss her cheek before he stands. “Hang on, let me get you a tissue.”

She realizes he’s headed for the toilet roll holder next to the sink far too late and Oliver freezes just before she can shout “Oliver, no!”.

She can only see his side profile but it’s clear to see the way the color drains from his face as what can only be described as astonishment spreads across his face. He’s as white as a sheet and he moves at a snail’s pace as he turns to look at her.

“Are… are you _pregnant_?” He questions, his voice rising what must be almost an octave on the last word. His eyes are blown wide and he looks as if she’s turned his entire world on its head which she supposes she actually has.

Oddly, something about his astonishment calms her and her feet hit the floor again as she sits up. “I think the twelve positive pregnancy tests might indicate that, yes.”

“Wow.” Oliver blinks vacantly, his head slowly turning back to stare at the sink. There’s a palpable silence and Felicity feels her stomach drop an inch with every second that passes where Oliver doesn’t speak.

“It… it’s okay. I… I can go back to the States and you can stay here or go on to wherever it was that you wanted to go after this.” She finds herself filling the silence with her nervous chatter. Her words finally jolt Oliver back into action and he turns back to her, his brow furrowing in obvious confusion. Felicity supposes he must not understand that she’ll go, she doesn’t mind, so she scrambles to elaborate. “You were talking about Bali, no? You don’t have to give this up, Oliver, I promise. I’ll go home and we’ll figure it out, I…”

“Honey, what on earth are you talking about?” Oliver asks her and Felicity shakes her head. He’s still not understanding her.

“You’ve been so happy since we left and I would never want to sacrifice that so even though it will break my heart to walk away from you, I’ll do it.” She promises, remaining resolute even as her voice cracks and her tears flood down her face.

Suddenly, Oliver falls to his knees once more before her and Felicity swallows thickly as he cups her face. His strong hands direct her gaze onto his and she is baffled by the smile she finds on his face, coupled with the loving look in his eyes. He keeps his voice steady and determined as he speaks to her, his thumb rubbing gently against her tear-tracked cheek. “Felicity, leaving the States wasn’t ever about getting away from the country, it was about going somewhere with you. _You_ have been the key to all of this. I would have been happy to stay in Starling City with you or I’d have been happy if we’d gone to Antarctica. The destination didn’t matter, you did.”

“I… oh.” Felicity stutters, unsure of what else to say. She’d been so sure he’d take her up on her offer, she’d never have imagined this. In some ways, his tenderness cuts her more as surprise flows through her. It’s a joyous surprise but surprise nonetheless.

Oliver smiles at her, a soft amusement dancing in his eyes. “Yeah, oh. Now can we please talk about this?” He questions, looking back over at the sink. Felicity takes a deep shuddering breath, moving to wipe her tears. Oliver is quicker, however, and the large pads of his fingers are soothing on her warm skin. He reaches for her hands when he is done and Felicity finds herself clinging tightly to his. Their eyes meet and Felicity calms herself counting the specks of hazel she finds within Oliver’s. “Did Thea tell you to take the test?”

“She figured it out when you told her my symptoms. I honestly hadn’t thought about it but it makes a lot of sense. We’ll… I’ll need a blood test.” Felicity explains, correcting herself quickly, but Oliver squeezes her hands, shaking his head.

“We. We’re doing this together, Felicity, I promise you. I’m not going anywhere. I… I know that’s hard for you, forever isn’t something anyone’s ever kept a promise to you about. But if you’re pregnant, which I think maybe all those tests might indicate you are, I promise you that I will never leave our baby or make them feel the way your father made you feel. And whatever those tests say, you have me forever. I love you, Felicity Smoak, and nothing you can do will change that.”

Felicity wishes so desperately to believe him but her mind is racing. She has so many doubts and worries, she can’t understand how Oliver can be so calm.

“I… we’re not ready for a baby, Oliver. We’ve barely been together three months.” She reminds him but Oliver only chuckles as she shakes his head.

“And? It’s not as if we just met, Felicity. I know you and you know me. We work well together in all aspects of our lives and I know we’ll make great parents too.” He promises and Felicity huffs, her irritation growing as he seems to simply not be listening to her.

“But there are so many things to think about! We don’t have anywhere to live, you don’t have a job, I have half a job that they’ll definitely boot me from when they find out about this, and…” She laments, her speech getting faster as she verbalizes her fears. Her breathing quickens too, and she runs out of breath until Oliver releases her hand to run his thumb over her lips, silencing her.

“Shh, we’ll figure it out.” His voice remains steady even now and Felicity’s brow furrows as she searches his eyes for any indication of worry or nerves but all she can see is pure, unadulterated love.

“How are you so sure?”

“Because I have you by my side and I know that together, we can handle anything.”

As he smiles at her, his eyes so full of love and hope, Felicity cannot find it in her to crush his optimism with more talk of her fears. But this will change them, there’s no way that it won’t, and Felicity is terrified that this might be the one storm they just can’t weather.

* * *

Oliver is stood in the kitchen chopping a mango a few hours later, having left Felicity sleeping once more in their bed.

His mind is reeling from the past few hours. He can’t believe he’s going to be a father. Felicity really is giving him everything he’s ever wanted.

He knows she’s worried but he loves her so much and he knows so long as they have that, they’ll work it out.

After he’d calmed her down in the bathroom, they moved back into the bedroom and Oliver is grateful that Felicity allowed him to hold her in his arms. He can see how much this has shaken her and all he wants is for her to be assured that this _is_ happy news. 

Good lord, he's so happy.

“I’ve booked a flight back home.”

He turns at the sound of Felicity’s soft voice to see her padding across the hotel apartment. She’s pulled on one of his hoodies over her t-shirt and shorts and it practically swallows her in dark green fabric.

“Hey, you should be in bed.” He prompts softly, placing down the knife and turning fully as she comes to a stop in front of him. A small smile spreads across her face and it’s a welcome sight to Oliver, the image of her curled on top of the toilet sobbing still burned in his mind.

“That’s the only place I’ve been for the past three days.” She reminds him and Oliver chuckles, reaching behind him to grab the bowl of fruit he’d been working on.

“Mango?” He offers and Felicity’s smile only widens as she reaches eagerly for a piece of the slimy, orange fruit.

“Hmm, thank you.” She grins as she pops it into her mouth and Oliver cannot help but chuckle at the way she holds it between her teeth to smile at him for a moment before eating it properly.

“Anything for you.” He assures her softly and her bright eyes soften as she tilts her head, her expression an affectionate one as she regards him. Oliver clears his throat, standing a little taller as he places the bowl back on the side. “So, that flight… is it for both of us?”

“Yes,” Felicity replies, her voice sounding far more confident than she looks. Her fingers start to fiddle with a few loose threads on the sleeve on the hoodie, looking at the floor, and Oliver frowns. “I’ve been thinking…”

“Hey, you don’t have to be scared to talk to me. Whatever it is, don’t be scared to tell me.” He interrupts her soft and shaky voice, not wanting her to ever think that she can’t talk to him. He’s here for her, whatever she needs, and he needs her to know that.

Felicity swallows thickly but nods, her gaze finally rising and he can see the apprehension in her eyes. “We should find somewhere to live, right? Together… if um, that’s what you want?”

“What do you think we’ve been doing these past months, my love?” Oliver questions with a chuckle, nodding his head towards one of the _many_ hotel rooms they’ve shared over these past months. It’s clear that it wasn’t the right thing to say, however, as Felicity slumps and she looks pleadingly at him.

“Please don’t joke, not now.” She begs and Oliver nods, taking a deep breath.

“I’m sorry.” He sighs and reaches for her hand. It’s odd that so much has changed between them in such a short space of time. Yesterday he wouldn’t have thought twice about such a small touch but she’s so skittish that he’s worried the slightest step too far might spook her. She allows it, however, and Oliver feels his heart soar as their fingers entwine. “Felicity, I would love nothing more.”

She smiles at that, her shoulders slumping in relief. “Not Starling?”

“Not Star City.” Oliver corrects her with a small smile and she huffs, sending him a reproachful look.

“That’s still taking some time to get used to.” Felicity reminds him and he chuckles, squeezing her hand warmly as their comfortable rapport seems to rush back into the room.

“How about Ivy Town?” Oliver suggests, his heart hammering as he vocalizes the dream that’s been inhabited his mind since they passed through the small, suburban town at the start of their trip.

“Ivy Town?” Felicity questions, her brow furrowing in confusion, and her surprise doesn’t shock him. He’s given her no indication before this that he’s been thinking of it but the thought of a house and a garden, Felicity coming home to him and their _baby…_ it sounds like the perfect life to him.

“I thought about it when we visited Ray’s parents after the funeral. It’s a gorgeous place, somewhere I could see myself making a home with you.” He rushes to explain and relief floods him as Felicity takes a deep breath and her confused expression melts.

“Ivy Town.” She repeats softly, a small smile spreading across her pink lips. Oliver can’t help himself as their eyes lock, the smiles a welcome respite from the tension of the past hours, and he bends, pressing his lips softly against hers. He groans as Felicity presses back against him and finally, for the first time since he found her sobbing in the bathroom, Oliver is fully convinced they can come out of this stronger.

A loud ringing interrupts them and Oliver is happy to hear Felicity groan as they pull away. He reaches for his phone and shakes his head at the sight of his sister’s name.

“It’s Thea.” He tells Felicity and she smiles, wrapping her hands around his free arm and resting her chin on his shoulder. Her weight is welcome against his side, her soft hair brushing against his shoulder.

“Take it.” Felicity prompts him and Oliver smiles, hesitating for only a second before he presses a long kiss to her forehead and answers the call.

“Speedy?”

“Hi Ollie, got anything to tell me?” Thea’s voice is full of mirth and Oliver can practically see her bouncing on her toes with a smirk dancing on her face. He puts his sister on speakerphone, chuckling amusedly.

“Are you seriously calling to gloat, Thea?” He snorts with a shake of his head, rolling his eyes when Felicity grins up at him with a chuckle.

“No… but was I right?” Thea questions, her voice full of excitement and Oliver finds it infectious, a bright smile of his own spreading across his face.

“We think so. We’re going to get a blood test to confirm as soon as we’re back stateside but…” He states, trailing off as he looks down at Felicity with a raised eyebrow. He’ll take his cue from her, always, and his heart beats faster as she merely stares up at him with a small smile.

“Well, I think twelve pregnancy tests is pretty good proof.” She finally confirms and Oliver’s smile grows wide at her light tone and accompanying smile. She seems happy and that is all he wants.

“Wait, really? I’m really going to be an aunt?” Thea asks, her voice rising in pitch and Oliver laughs.

“Yeah, Speedy.”

“Oh my god! Congratulations, you guys!” Thea squeals loudly and as Felicity smiles brightly up at him, Oliver’s heart glows.

“Thank you, Thea,” Felicity answers warmly and Oliver sighs contently as they eyes meet properly, warmth spreading through him when he sees it in her eyes.

“Wait, did you say you’re coming home?” Thea questions after a long moment and Oliver smiles, leaning forward to press a long kiss to her forehead.

“Not Star City home but close enough. We’re thinking of moving to Ivy Town.” He explains in the general direction of his phone.

“That’s adorable.” His sister sings and Oliver rolls his eyes.

“Thea…” He warns but it seems Thea is hardly listening or she just doesn’t care.

“No really, Oliver Queen in suburbia, who would’ve thought?”

His concentration is pulled away from Thea’s teasing as Felicity steps back. He immediately misses her weight and warmth and he frowns as she walks further away.

“ _You okay?”_ He mouths, his brow furrowing in concern, and she reassures him with a soft smile, nodding her head.

 _“Bathroom.”_ She explains and he nods, winking as she walks back towards the bedroom. It makes her smile warmly, her gaze lingering on him before she turns.

“Seriously there was a period there where I thought I wouldn’t ever get a niece or nephew but I’m so glad you pulled your head out of your ass, big brother.” Thea continues as Oliver lifts the phone back up to his ear and takes her off speakerphone.

“Yeah, me too.” He states gently, his eyes still on Felicity’s back as she disappears round the corner of the bedroom wall. He takes a deep breath, moving a few steps away, and looking back towards the bedroom to check Felicity’s out of hearing range. “Listen Speedy, can you do me a favor?”

“I think I already did you one but okay.” Thea snorts and he rolls his eyes with an affectionate smile. He swallows as the weight of what he’s about to ask settles over him, growing more serious.

“You know you said you weren’t bothered about having Mom’s engagement ring? Do you think you could get it out the security deposit box for me?” He questions and his heart stutters at the sharp intake of breath he hears Thea take in.

“Wait… seriously? You’re going to propose?”

“I’ve been thinking about it for a while.” He replies honestly and Oliver has to hold the phone away from his ear to protect himself from the ferocity of Thea’s loud squeal. “So that’s a yes?”

“Of course! You can count on me.” Thea assures him and Oliver smiles.

“Already knew that.”

“You’re really growing up, huh big brother?” She asks and Oliver can hear the affection in her voice. He can see the way she’s most likely tilting her head, admiring him with that loving, sisterly gaze.

“Couldn’t have done it without her.” Oliver cannot help but reply, just as Felicity reappears in the doorway of the bedroom.

“Sap.” Thea snorts in his ear and Oliver watches as Felicity makes her way back over to him, popping another piece of mango into her mouth with a smile. Oliver smiles back at her, turning his attention back to Thea.

“Things are okay at home? You’re staying safe?” He questions his little sister, unable to stop himself, expecting the amused sigh it earns him.

“Yes, Ollie. I’m turning into quite the seasoned professional, I’ll have you know.” Thea stands proudly and he chuckles, it only doubling as Felicity glances at him before stealing a few more pieces of mango. 

“I never doubted you for a moment, Speedy.”

“I love you Ollie and I am so happy for you.” His sister tells him softly and Oliver grins.

“I love you too, Thea. I can’t wait to see you soon.” He promises and sighs contently when he hears Thea’s happy hum.

“Bye, big brother.” She speaks softly before the line goes dead and Oliver smiles, placing the phone down as he turns to Felicity.

“Are you eating all the mango?” He asks, trying his best to look at her sternly but failing rather epically.

“No.” Felicity states with a mouth full of the fruit and Oliver snorts as she adorably shakes her head. His gaze softens as he takes her in, remembering that she’s carrying _his child._

God, how he loves her.

“You okay?” She asks, tilting her head with a raised eyebrow after she swallows her mouthful and Oliver smiles, nodding his head.

“Hmm, let’s go to bed.”

“Bring the mango,” Felicity tells him and Oliver laughs, grabbing the bowl.

Tomorrow, they will get ready to head back home and start a new life there as they await their new arrival, but for now, they’re still in paradise and Oliver wants to convince her just how happy he is to hear her news.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ivy Town is heaven for Oliver. Felicity, however, is feeling a little stifled. Also, an important conversation is had.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all, back at you with another chapter. There's a bit of a time jump here, around three weeks! I hope you enjoy and please leave a kudos or comment if you do, they make my day!

The bustle of the backyard is completely foreign to Felicity as she stands in their neighbor’s garden in a summer dress, holding a glass of juice in her hand.

This is something she has never done. The area of Vegas in which she grew up had no outside space for the apartments, let alone yards large enough to fit the entire neighborhood in them comfortably. Cookouts were something junkies did on the street corners with an old metal grill and a lighter, not a place for the wine mothers of the community to come together and gossip whilst their husbands feign half an interest in the grill itself and their children run around screaming.

 _Okay, that might be slightly too negative_ , Felicity reminds herself as she takes another long drink of Brenda’s incredible ice tea. It’s just that Ivy Town in and of itself is so foreign from anything that Felicity has ever known and, even though they’ve been here for three weeks now, it’s still taking a lot of adjusting on her part.

Oliver, however? He’s a completely different story.

Felicity never would have imagined she would see Oliver Queen, playboy billionaire and secret vigilante, find so much joy in choosing between dappled and scalloped flatware or paint colors for the house they now share but it’s truly something remarkable to see. Oliver’s taken to domestic life like a fish to water, mingling with the neighbors and hosting weekly brunches as if it’s what he was born to do.

Felicity feels less like a fish in water and more like a cat, struggling to keep her head above the water and just fully out of her comfortable environment.

And it’s not that she isn’t loving domestic life with Oliver, that’s the proverbial carrot in this entire situation. She’s deliriously happy with him; the slow, gentle mornings, the endless amounts of time for one another, and his tenderness and care in how he shows her he loves her in everything he does are more than she could have ever asked for.

It’s everything else that feels like the stick.

“Felicity?” She jumps at the sound of her name and turns to see Laura Hoffman smiling politely at her. It’s the kind of smile that doesn’t reach her eyes and Felicity can tell she’s annoyed that Felicity wasn’t listening to whatever she was ranting about this time. 

“Hmm?” She responds, painting her own polite smile on her face as she returns her concentration to the patio chairs and the group of women who seem to all be staring at her.

“I was just telling Louise here about your and Oliver’s unique situation and just how wonderful I think it is,” Laura explains, gesturing to Louise next to her and Felicity blinks blankly as she processes her neighbor’s words.

“I might need you to elaborate on that.” She frowns, truly having no idea what the middle-aged woman means. Unless Laura somehow knows about the pregnancy?

“Laura tells me that you’re the one working? Quite the high-flying job I hear too?” Louise explains and Felicity releases an indiscernible sigh of relief before smiling tensely. Louise appears to be having the exact same reaction as Laura had when she learned that Felicity works and Oliver currently does not, which is utter bafflement.

Because apparently in Ivy Town, it’s still 1964.

“Oh yes, um… well, I’m currently acting-CEO of Palmer Technologies. My old boss and friend, Ray Palmer, he um… he passed away in a tragic accident in the spring. I was his vice-president at the time and it turns out he left the company to me.” Felicity tells the group after a deep breath. She still doesn’t like talking about Ray and her acquisition of Palmer Tech. To know that he died with things the way they were between them breaks her heart. 

“Oh, I remember hearing about that. Didn’t the entire executive floor of the building get damaged?” Susan questions from her seat across the patio and Felicity shifts awkwardly in her seat at the almost gleeful curiosity in the woman’s tone.

“Um, yes.”

“Palmer Technologies, you make the watch thingies, right?” Jackie questions from Felicity’s right and she bristles as this conversation starts to feel more like an inquisition.

“Smart wearables, yes.” She confirms and Jackie nods with a dismissive smile.

“Oh, my son has one of those. _Loves_ the thing.” Brenda comments and Felicity smiles.

“I’m glad to hear it.” She nods politely but Brenda doesn’t leave it at that.

“Of course, I don’t understand the point of them but I’m glad it gives you something to do, honey.” She rattles off and Felicity freezes as she leans across Jackie to pat Felicity condescendingly on the shoulder.

 _This,_ this is what she hates about the suburbs. It’s so clear to her that these women think she’ll give up her work when she and Oliver get married and start having children to settle down and craft a life so similar to the ones they all lead. But there’s nothing Felicity wants less. She wants to raise her baby with Oliver _and_ work and show her son or daughter that women don’t have to choose between family and career. 

“Ladies.”

Felicity’s shoulders relax at the sound of her boyfriend’s voice and she turns to see him smiling politely at them all. His gaze softens into a true smile when it lands on her and he offers her his hand, which she takes eagerly.

“Oh! Oliver.” The women around her bristle, preening for his attention in a way that Felicity can’t help but smile at.

“Mind if I steal Felicity away for a moment?” He questions as he helps her off the chair and they all shake their heads with bright, fake smiles.

“Of course not. Go right ahead, honey.” Louise speaks for them all, her eyes very obviously scanning the entire length of Oliver’s body in his jeans and button-down.

Oliver, however, pays her no mind and smiles politely at them all before leading Felicity over to a quiet spot underneath one of the large trees.

“You okay? I could see you bristling from across the yard. Is it the morning sickness again?” He questions when they come to a stop, his gaze concerned as he runs a comforting hand down her shoulders.

“I feel fine. It’s nothing, I promise.” She assures him, smiling properly for the first time in hours at his gentle concern. He’s been so paranoid since she was so sick in Thailand, he’s barely let her lift a finger. It’s incredibly sweet and it makes her fall just that bit further in love with him.

“Felicity, please be honest with me.” Oliver insists and she sighs, both loving and hating how obviously well he knows her and her tells.

“I am being honest, the baby is not bothering me.” She states honestly because it’s not the little nugget the size of a fig that’s bothering her.

Oliver’s face splits into a grin at her words and just the sight of such pure, unadulterated joy on his face makes Felicity smile too. “Still so weird to hear you say that.” He comments, glancing down at her stomach. She’s showing ever so slightly, in a way you can only see when she’s wearing nothing or something extremely tight. Really it just looks like she’s eaten a large meal and it’s certainly not noticeable in her flowy dress.

 _They know_ it’s there, however, and that’s all that matters.

“Don’t let anyone hear us. We’re already living in sin in their minds, never mind an illegitimate child.” Felicity teases, glancing back over at the group of women on the patio who immediately pretend that they haven’t been openly watching them.

Oliver snorts and wraps his arms around her waist, tugging her close to him with a smirk. “No-one else I’d rather live in sin with.” He promises her and Felicity grins, wrapping her arms around his neck as she presses her body into him.

“I’d hope not.” She mumbles against his lips before kissing him softly. It’s chaste, appropriate for the public setting, but her stomach flips at the way Oliver smiles against her lips and his hands grip her waist tighter to pull her impossibly closer.

“Hey, Oliver!” A voice calls out and they both sigh, separating with small smiles that promise later.

“I’d better get back over there before Paul actually burns down the Hoffman’s yard.” Oliver huffs, glancing back at over where Felicity admits a fire might actually be imminent. Paul from down the road appears to have pushed Adam away from the grill and has taken over with no discernable knowledge of what he’s doing.

“Go. I’ll be fine.” Felicity promises, pressing lightly against his back and Oliver looks back at her with a concerned frown.

“You sure?” He questions and Felicity smiles, rising onto her toes to cup his cheek. His hands immediately cup her waist to balance her and she smiles.

“Hmm, so long as you promise me ice cream and a foot rub when we get home.” She smirks but Oliver’s face just softens as he leans into close again.

“I’d give you the world.” He tells her and his voice is so clear and truthful that it brings tears to her eyes. Good lord, she loves him so much.

“I know you would, you big sap. Now go stop that imminent disaster.” She smirks, swallowing thickly as she pats his cheek softly.

“I love you.” He tells her softly, kissing her gently once more before he steps back.

“I love you too.”

Felicity stays where she is when Oliver rushes back across the yard, drawing the attention of the group of women she just left. She watches them as he handles the situation, shaking her head with an amused smirk as they openly fan themselves and gossip to each other. They’ve turned heads for far more than their supposedly sinful cohabitation since moving to Ivy Town and the neighborhood wives’ fascination with her boyfriend is quite the endless source of entertainment for Felicity. Especially because Oliver is just so entirely unaware of it.

Even now, as he finishes taking over the grill from Paul and saving the sausages that were about to go up in flames, he looks straight back up at Felicity, blowing her a kiss and ignoring the undivided attention he has from the group on the patio. She smiles at him, blowing a kiss right back before she indicates that she’s going to refill her drink and heads back inside to the kitchen.

“You live next door.”

Felicity jumps at the voice, turning to see tiny Alice Hoffman staring at her with a discerning look. The girl is five years old and adorable, all wide hazel eyes and long brunette pigtails. She’s dressed in a fairy costume today and Felicity notes with a small smile that the entire left side of it is covered in mud from where the girl’s been playing outside.

“That’s right and you live here,” Felicity replies with a smile but the girl merely continues to stare right up at her, her brow furrowed in a way that is both adorable and disconcerting.

“Mama says that you’re very smart, that you build computers and watches.” Alice states and Felicity chuckles, nodding her head.

“I do. In fact, the company I run makes the one you’re wearing right now.” She explains as she notices one of the old models made for kids on Alice’s wrist. They have far less of the features of the adult ones but there are a few games on them and you can program a parent’s number and the emergency services into them.

“This is Jacob’s old one. Mama says I’m not big enough for one of my own yet.” Alice explains, her brow furrowing as she lifts her tiny arm up to inspect the blue watch on her wrist.

“Well, your mama might be right. Plus, you can’t play fairies on a watch.” Felicity smiles, trying to make the child smile but her words just make Alice gasp offendedly.

“I’m not just any fairy! I’m a fairy pirate princess!” She states determinedly, placing her little hands in fists on her hips and Felicity has to resist the urge to chuckle at how adorable she looks.

Instead, she schools her expression, faking a look of embarrassment as she bends into as deep a curtsey as she can manage in her dress and wedged heels. “Oh, well my apologies, Your Highness, for not greeting you properly.”

Alice smiles and nods determinedly as if she’s pleased with Felicity’s behavior which makes the woman smile. The small girl is certainly a force of nature, knowing exactly who she is and what she wants and Felicity notes for a reflective second that she hopes the little nugget growing inside her has a similar spirit.

“Ah, Fairy Pirate Princess Alice! I see you have met my fair maiden!”

Alice squeals as Oliver suddenly appears behind her and swoops her into his arms. It makes the little girl giggle loudly and Felicity feels her heart clench at the proud smile it puts on Oliver’s face. He’s such a natural with the neighborhood kids, he’s incredible at making them laugh and smile and it just makes her so excited to see him with their own baby.

He’s going to make the best dad in the world.

“We’ve been introduced.” Alice states haughtily but in her sweet little voice, it’s just hilariously adorable. Oliver clearly thinks so as well as he grins at Felicity, his eyes dancing with happiness in a way that makes her stomach flip.

Alice squeals again as Oliver carefully flips her down to the ground before stamping his foot and saluting her in line with her game. “I came in here, Your Highness, to inform you that your brothers are staging a mutiny outside and you need to return to ensure your ship does not fall into enemy hands.”

Felicity bites her lip as she watches in slight disbelief that this is the same man who wouldn’t even dance at his best friend’s wedding a few months ago. It’s why she can’t muster the strength to tell him how stifling she finds this place because it’s clearly freed him in such a momentous way.

Alice bites her lip, looking between Oliver and Felicity with a calculating look before her bravado drops. “Can I have a cookie first?” She questions, gesturing to the spread of snacks on the island behind Felicity and both she and Oliver freeze.

They know kids well enough to understand that they might be getting played here and Laura or Adam may have told their daughter she can’t have a cookie. Felicity frowns and turns to look at the spread before an idea sparks in her mind, reaching for the apple slices on the fruit platter.

“Oh, Your Highness, every good pirate knows that the best pre-fight snack is apple slices dipped in Nutella.” She comments easily, dunking three of the slices in the chocolate spread and smiling as she turns to see Alice’s eyes lit up in anticipation.

“I believe you are right, fair maiden!” Alice exclaims, taking the healthier snack and stuffing all three slices into her small mouth before rushing out the door.

Felicity watches her go with a fond smile, tilting her head as she regards the way Alice immediately jumps into the game with her brothers, finding a branch on the floor to act as her sword as she claims her ship back from their mutiny.

Alice is a free-spirited kid with so much imagination and a home and environment that allows her to express that. Apart from Oliver and his newfound happiness, that’s the other thing that’s keeping Felicity here. Ivy Town gives them a chance to raise this baby as a happy and well-adjusted child, away from the pressure and worry of Star City.

No matter how uncomfortable and stifling she might find Ivy Town, Felicity knows it will be worth it to give this nugget the best chance she can.

She clears her throat when she notices Oliver staring at her, an unreadable expression of his own on his face and she smiles, brushing off her dress as she turns to him with a raised eyebrow.

“Your fair maiden?” She questions teasingly and Oliver chuckles with a small blush on his cheeks which Felicity thinks might just be even more adorable than Fairy Pirate Princess Alice. 

“Ah, she tried to arrange a marriage to bring our ships’ crews together but I had to inform her that my heart rested with another.” He explains as he steps towards her, chuckling as the words leave his mouth and they make Felicity laugh as well.

“Well, if I had to lose you to anyone, I suppose Fairy Pirate Princess Alice would be a worthy opponent.” She admits, holding a hand to her heart and Oliver shakes his head, sending her an amused admonishing look. Felicity grins widely before turning towards the spread of food herself.

Before she can grab a cookie for herself, however, Oliver’s hands land on her waist and direct her over to the sink, causing her to frown. “Wash your hands before you eat anything. They might have Nutella on.”

“Yes, Dad.” She comments with a soft roll of her eyes but her words don’t have any bite. She knows he’s just worried about her and the baby and it’s very sweet really.

“Oh, sorry I don’t want you having an allergic reaction whilst carrying our child,” Oliver comments with a roll of his own eyes, stepping closer behind her and wrapping his arms around her waist. They linger on her small, practically indiscernible bump for a moment with the tenderest of caresses before they drift upwards just a little so that they won’t be so obvious if someone walks in.

“You needn’t fuss so much, I’m fine.” Felicity reminds him as she rubs the suds of the soap into her hands, humming contently as Oliver nuzzles his nose into her neck.

“I just worry. You were so sick to begin with.” He mumbles into her skin, pressing the lightest of kisses to her neck and Felicity has to resist the urge to moan.

“The doctor said that was perfectly normal and I’m fine now.” She reminds him, blinking heavily to try and stay on track with the conversation as Oliver drifts his kisses around to her collarbone.

His hands drift back down to her stomach again and she can feel him smile as she washes off her hands, reaching for the hand towel hanging above the sink. “It’s almost getting to the point when we can tell people.”

Oliver’s words make Felicity freeze. She can’t believe that next week she’ll be twelve weeks pregnant and into her second trimester. The doctor confirmed at her first appointment when they got back to the States that she was around eight weeks, allowing her and Oliver to trace it back to Positano at the very least. It makes sense, seeing as the week she was so deathly ill put her at seven weeks and she’d been exhausted for at least a week before that but she’d merely put it down to traveling.

It makes it feel so much more real to be entering Week 12 and starting to tell their friends and family. To be honest, it scares Felicity beyond belief and makes her sick to her stomach. She already feels like she’s living someone else’s life.

“Other than Thea, you mean?” She swallows with a small smirk to cover up the way her hands shake as hangs the towel back up.

“Speedy doesn’t count, she guessed,” Oliver smirks, still mumbling into her neck and Felicity closes her eyes, resting her hands on top of his and leaning back into his embrace for a long moment. She allows herself to revel in the feeling of safety it brings and she sighs contently as Oliver wraps himself tighter around her.

“I’m impressed she’s kept it a secret this long.” Felicity finally mumbles herself and Oliver snorts. Felicity can feel his chest rumble behind her as he laughs and she smiles, resisting the urge to turn and bury herself in it.

“Me too.” He responds, kissing her just behind her ear and Felicity smiles. She may hate the snobby housewives and their obnoxious attitudes but she can battle that for this right here. Oliver’s arms around her, holding her and their child safe, are all she needs right now.

“Oliver! Felicity!”

Laura Hoffman’s voice draws them back into reality and reminds them where they are. They separate with matching discontented huffs before both smiling. Oliver offers her his hand and Felicity smiles, grabbing it with both of hers and allowing him to tug her back into the lion’s den… she means yard.

* * *

Oliver can tell the minute Felicity starts to flake.

Once they’ve eaten, she leans more heavily against him as the sun starts to make its way down the evening sky. She’s less responsive in conversation and her limbs are floppier where she’s perched half in his lap on one of the Hoffman’s patio chairs.

The couples with kids have already left, using the excuse of strict bedtimes to leave the cookout and Oliver knows that the baby is making Felicity more tired than usual, so as the last family leave, he slips out from underneath Felicity with a kiss to her temple and makes his way into the kitchen to find Adam.

“Hey man.” The middle-aged man greets where he’s washing the dishes and Oliver smiles.

“Hey, I think we’re going to head too. Felicity’s practically asleep out there.” He explains, gesturing back to the patio. Adam smiles, nodding his head as he wipes his hands and turns to face Oliver properly.

“Oh okay, we’re still good for brunch at yours tomorrow?” He questions and Oliver nods.

“Definitely. I’m even cracking out the slow cooker.” He confirms, making Adam smile.

“Laura will be very happy.” He chuckles before glancing towards the patio as if to check they’re alone. He steps towards Oliver and lowers his voice, it’s not until he speaks again that Oliver realizes why. “Hey, did you get the ring?”

Oliver can’t help the smile that spreads across his face at the reminder of the ring stashed safely away in his arrow crate in the garage. He has a whole plan, one that he intends to carry out tomorrow, and the idea of maybe having everything he wants makes his stomach flutter nervously. “I did. My sister sent it last week.”

“I want to see it tomorrow.” Adam grins, patting him on the shoulder in a friendly manner and Oliver nods, taking a deep breath.

“For sure.”

“Thank you for coming.” Adam nods as he steps back and raises his voice to a normal volume, making Oliver smile. His neighbor’s definitely not taking on a vigilante role anytime soon, he has all the subtly of a bull in a china shop.

“Thanks for having us. It’s been a great day.” He smiles in response and Adam grins. Oliver really does like the man, even if it’s clear that he doesn’t have that many male friends. Oliver’s been a loner most of his life and Adam is just a small-town dad trying to enjoy himself with a wife and three precocious kids.

“Any time, and not just because you’re the only one who knows how to properly use that grill,” Adam smirks and Oliver laughs, saying goodbye once more before he turns to head back out to the patio.

Laura catches him by the door, her face morphing into surprise as she looks him over. “Oh, are you off, Oliver?”

“Yes, Laura. Felicity’s very tired and I have to admit I’m not far behind.” He explains politely, gesturing to where Felicity is essentially asleep in the chair a few feet away.

“Oh of course. We’ll see you both tomorrow.” Laura nods, her gaze softening a little as she looks at Felicity, and Oliver smiles with a nod,

“Thank you for a lovely afternoon.” He tells her honestly before moving to allow her through with the plates she’s clearing up. Oliver makes his way over to the deck chair Felicity’s curled up in, bending down in front of her with a soft smile. She’s so cute, curled in on herself as she fights to keep her eyes open and he reaches out with a smile to tuck a lock of her now short curls behind her ear. “Hey, honey.”

“Hmm?” She frowns, nuzzling into his hand as it rests by her cheek and Oliver smiles at the way her nose scrunches.

“You’re falling asleep in the Hoffman’s backyard.” He explains gently and her brow furrows as she takes in her surroundings.

“Oh.”

“Come on, let’s get you home.” Oliver chuckles, helping her up out the chair and through the gate in the backyard to their own. The short walk seems to wake her up slightly and she’s leaning on him far less heavily by the time he tugs his keys out his pocket to unlock the back door.

“Ugh, why are those things so exhausting?” She groans as she makes her way over to the couch and slumps back against the cushions. Oliver chuckles, placing down his keys and heading to the fridge to get them both a drink.

He stops before the fridge as he has done for the past three weeks, his eyes lingering on the sonogram pictures displayed proudly on the metal structure. Their neighbors don’t know so they have to take them down whenever someone comes round but Oliver doesn’t mind the process at all for the joy it fills him with to see them there.

He smiles as he thinks back to the day in the doctor’s office. Honestly, seeing their baby on that screen for the first time is going down as one of the best days of Oliver’s life and he can’t even describe the elation that ran through him when he heard their gentle heartbeat for the first time. He doesn’t think it had hit him properly until that moment that this is really real and he and Felicity have made a perfect little human.

It’s theirs and they’re really having a baby.

“I love you, sweetheart.” He whispers quietly as he always does, pressing his fingertips to his lips and then to the photo before he reaches inside the fridge for two bottles of juice. He then reaches into the freezer for the promised ice cream and grabs a spoon from the drawer.

“You want to just go to bed?” Oliver questions once he makes it into the living room, handing Felicity the juice and ice cream and smiling as she lifts her legs just for a moment so that he can sit down beneath them.

“No, I’m good so long as I no longer have to make small talk,” Felicity tells him with a shudder as she opens the ice cream. He chuckles and downs almost half of the juice before unbuckling the straps on her shoes and rubbing away the harsh lines they’ve left on her feet. “Do you have a game to watch?”

“Yeah but I’ll watch it later. Tell me about that project you were working on before we left?” Oliver asks, just wanting to listen to her talk for a while. Felicity nods with a smile, eating a huge spoonful of the mint chip in her hand before she starts talking.

As he sits there, his hands rubbing her feet and ankles as she babbles through a story that he only half understands, Oliver grows so sure that his plan for tomorrow is what he needs to do. It’s not a need that has arisen because of their situation with the pregnancy but it’s a personal need. Oliver needs Felicity to be his wife, if she’ll have him, because he needs this right here forever.

He’s never wanted anything more.

There’s just one more thing he needs to get off his chest before he gets down on one knee tomorrow evening, something that’s been playing on his mind since Felicity told him she’s pregnant.

He waits until she’s finished the ice cream and the two of them fall into a comfortable silence. Oliver has slumped down against her, his head pressing against her hip and her fingers are running through his hair when he finally gathers the courage to say what he needs to.

“You know, this isn’t the first time I thought I was going to become a father.”

Felicity’s fingers freeze in his hair and Oliver can feel her body tense up next to him. “What did you just say?” She questions, her voice shaky and Oliver takes a deep breath, trying not to let the nerves in his stomach control him. 

“This isn’t the first time I thought I was going to become a father.” He repeats, chancing a glance up at Felicity as he finishes the sentence. His heart leaps when he doesn’t find the expected judgment in her eyes, but instead, there’s merely a mild curiosity in her eyes and a soft, encouraging smile on her lips.

“I’m listening.” She promises and Oliver has to blink back the tears in his eyes. To know that he has her trust like this means everything to him.

“When I was twenty, I visited Laurel at law school and I went out partying with some of her friends one night. One of them, her name was Samantha and well, long story that I don’t really remember short, we ended up hooking up. It wasn’t unusual behavior for me, even though I know how awful it was now, and I completely forgot about her until she called me a month or so later to tell me that I’d gotten her pregnant. She didn’t want anything, only to tell me that I was going to be a dad. I was so terrified, in all my playboy actions, I had never been so careless before and I felt so awful that I’d ruined a girl’s life for some fun.”

Felicity remains silent as Oliver explains himself, her fingers restarting their exploration in his hair, although more tentatively than they were before. Just the small touch, however, reminds Oliver that she’s there and it gives him the courage to keep talking.

“What happened?” She asks softly, her voice as devoid of judgment as her face when he finally pauses and Oliver takes a deep shaky breath.

“She told me to think about what I wanted to do but then a few weeks after that, she called me again to tell me that she lost the baby.”

It feels like a weight off of Oliver’s chest to finally speak the words aloud. He’s never told anyone apart from his mother about Samantha and the lost baby, never trusted anyone enough to share such an intimate detail.

As with everything else in his life, Felicity is different. She’s open and kind and loving and he knows she won’t judge him for his past. She loves him and it makes him love her all the more for it.

“Oh, Oliver… I’m so sorry.” She sighs and Oliver can hear that her voice is thick with emotion. He chances another look up at her to see that her eyes are filled with tears. He knows she’s thinking the same thing, about how horrific it would be for the two of them to lose the life growing inside of her right now, and they simultaneously tighten their grip on each other as Felicity manages a small, sad smile.

“It’s odd. I knew I should’ve been relieved, god knows I was nowhere near ready to be a father, but I couldn’t help but think of that little life. It was a piece of me, you know? I never called her again, which is awful too. I should’ve seen whether she was alright.”

Oliver finds himself talking before he even thinks about it. These are fears he’s never expressed to anyone and as he talks, he can’t help but remember his mother’s words to him.

_Someday, it’s my fondest hope for you._

He doubts this was quite what she meant, but he hopes that she would be proud of the life he’s building, the love he’s giving, and the steps he’s taken to become a better man than he once was.

“You were just a kid.” Felicity reminds him, sniffling slightly as she gently turns his head to get him to look at her again.

“So was she and I should’ve been there for her,” Oliver replies thickly and Felicity doesn’t respond but she does shunt down on the couch so that she can wrap him properly in her arms. It’s awkward and Oliver’s arms fly out to make sure she doesn’t fly off and onto the floor but as Oliver curls into her, his head resting against her stomach where their baby sleeps, he allows himself to finally and fully relax. The tears that have been building in his eyes finally fall and he lets himself cry for something he never did in the arms of the woman he loves.

“Thank you for telling me.” Felicity finally tells him softly after his tears subside. Oliver pulls her impossibly closer, resting his head against her ever so slight baby bump.

“I want you to know everything and I want to know everything about you. There are some things I can’t tell you…” He trails off, his voice catching again, but Felicity's hands are in his hair and on his back in seconds, ushering in the calm as soon as the storm begins.

“Hey, it’s okay. Your own pace.” She promises and Oliver sighs, leaning his head back to look into her beautiful blue eyes as he makes his promise.

“But one day, I want you to know every detail. I want to be each other’s fully.”

The smile spreads across Felicity’s face, sparking the glimmer in her eyes that he loves so much. “I want that too.” She promises, her hand moving to cup his cheek as he turns and gently kisses her baby bump.

“And I want our baby to know that they are so loved by both of us and they always will be.” He speaks half to Felicity and half to their unborn child, his voice thick and full of promise as he speaks the words into fruition.

“We’ll make sure,” Felicity promises too and he looks up to see her eyes sparkling with tears as she leans down to gently kiss him.

* * *

Oliver’s been weird all day.

He’s always affectionate but he seems to have turned up the dial over the afternoon, bringing endless snacks and drinks in as Felicity worked through the afternoon after their brunch with the Hoffman’s from next door.

Brunch had been fine, apart from the awkward moment when Laura started talking about school lists in the area and both Oliver and Felicity froze, freaking that they had either forgotten to take down the sonogram pictures from the fridge or that Felicity’s dress had somehow shrunk to cling to her stomach. It had turned out that she was merely being her usual overbearing self and poking her nose in where it doesn’t belong.

Felicity truly doesn’t mind Adam, he’s harmless enough, even if she thinks he could do with growing a little more of a backbone, but she cannot stand Laura. She’s intrusive, borderline rude, and there’s just something so false about the way she’s so enthusiastic about slow cookers.

She has to admit that when Thea called her asking for help with the team this afternoon, Felicity jumped at the chance. She can’t deny that she’s missed the thrill of the team and Star City and being to help in the tiniest of ways makes her feel important and useful.

All hanging out with Laura Hoffman does is make her want to gauge out her eyes.

But it makes Oliver happy and Felicity thinks she could endure a lot to see that smile lighting up his face.

Felicity knows something is up from the minute they begin dinner.

The candles and the fancy setting isn’t unusual, Oliver often likes to spark a normal evening with a small bit of romance, but then came the music and the food.

Good lord the food.

Felicity can’t deny that she adores how good of a cook Oliver is, but this meal is insane. Soup and homemade bread for starter and then the creamy chicken recipe he’d learned in Tuscany. By the time he places the third clean plate in front of her, Felicity feels like her dress might no longer fit and it’s not because of the baby.

“Will you sit down, please? You’re my boyfriend, not my waiter.” She prompts and Oliver manages a small smile and he sits opposite her at the table, clasping his hands awkwardly in his lap.

That’s the other thing that’s setting her on edge. Oliver is so clearly nervous. He’s been jittery all day but it’s only gotten worse since they started dinner and Felicity knows it’s more than him being worried about her opinion on whatever he has cooked for dessert.

“So, what’s the occasion?” She questions, trying to coerce whatever’s bothering him out of him. Oliver merely smiles, however, his eyes watching as she fiddles with the stem of her wine glass filled with water ( _let a girl pretend, okay?)._

“Isn’t celebrating us and our baby enough of an occasion?” He responds in that incredibly soft tone that she knows he thinks will distract her from his weird behavior and she has to admit it almost does, but she won’t be deterred tonight.

“I’m pretty sure we’ve done our fair share of celebrating.” She responds in her own light way, smirking at him and grinning when she manages to elicit an amused smile from him as well.

She knows he’s also thinking of the glorious hour they spent in bed this morning after he returned from his run by the way his eyes get a little glossy.

It doesn’t quite have the desired effect, however, as he stands and makes his way back to the kitchen.

“But this isn’t just a celebration, this is a production! Is something going on?” She calls after him but he seems undeterred as he starts working on something in there.

“Well, that all depends on dessert…” He replies and the thought of more food makes her groan aloud.

“Ugh, Oliver, I love you and your endless production of MasterChef but I am almost disgustingly full.”

“Aren’t you eating for two?” 

“That may be a cute adage but it’s actually dangerous information. Did you know that more than half of pregnant women don’t know that they shouldn’t actually be using their baby as an excuse to double their calorific intake? It’s practically an epidemic.”

“Felicity, you are not going to get sick from trying a bite of this souffle.” Oliver laughs, turning to look at her with an amused smirk.

“Well, I didn’t say I would get sick, I said…”

She interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing, making her frown.

“Oh, saved by the bell.” She comments lightly and jumps up from her chair, knowing that most of their neighbors get very impatient at having to wait at the door.

“Felicity…” Oliver calls after her but she ignores him, making her way through the living room to the small hallway.

“Who on earth is calling at this time of night? I thought Ivy Town went to bed at 9:30.” She mumbles to herself as she pulls the key from the hook and unlocks the door, her eyes widening at who she sees through the screen. “Oh!”

Laurel and Thea are stood there, looking entirely out of place in the cookie-cutter streets of Ivy Town. Laurel stands with her arms crossed over her chest, her expression full of determination and power. Thea is just behind her, looking slightly more sheepish and apologetic as she smiles tentatively at Felicity.

“We should’ve called.” Laurel comments, her expression softening a little as she takes in Felicity’s dress and heels. Felicity wriggles a little uncomfortably under her scrutiny, knowing that this dress is tight against her small baby bump.

She hadn’t thought anyone but Oliver would see her in it.

“No, no, come in. It’s so good to see you!” She blinks, pulling open the screen door and ushering them inside. She smiles warmly at Laurel before Thea wraps her in a hug and Felicity sighs into the affection, letting it calm her nerves.

She has a pretty good feeling she knows what _this_ is about and she also knows that it has the ability to flip everything she and Oliver have barely put together on its head as if it were a poorly assembled coffee table.

“We’re sorry to just intrude,” Thea tells her nervously but Felicity waves her off, trying to give her best reassuring smile even as the nerves creep into her muscles.

“Don’t be silly, Oliver’s this way.” She tells them, leading them through the hall and living room into the small alcove where the dining room table sits.

“Hon?” Oliver questions, frowning at her. He’s stood holding a dish with two souffles on it, looking every bit the polar opposite of the life that they left behind months ago.

Yet again, she feels like she’s about to change everything and rip away what’s made him so happy and it makes her sick to her stomach to speak her next words.

“…we have visitors.”


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity settle back into Star City and share their news with their loved ones, to varying degrees of reception.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I hope you enjoy this chapter, I'm so sorry that it's a little late! I'm in my last semester (ever, ahh!) of university so time to write doesn't come often but I am trying my very best to keep up semi-regular posting on all my stories. I really hope that you enjoy this chapter and, if you do, please let me know in the comments or by leaving a kudos (or both!). 
> 
> [This chapter contains some dialogue lifted straight from s04e01 of Arrow and that is obviously not my work]

The town car moves through the streets of Star City and Oliver stares out of the window, watching the Glades fly past. It’s clear that not much has changed since he made this same trip through the city three years ago, despite his and the team’s efforts. It’s still incredibly run down and derelict, with plenty of people on the streets quite clearly for the night. It makes returning to help seem even more futile to Oliver; it’s clear his influence hasn’t changed much in the city so why do they need his help now.

A soft and gentle hand grazes his knee and Oliver tears his head away from the window to see Felicity smiling sadly at him. She looks so beautiful, even in the dim light of the limo, and Oliver feels the weight on his chest lighten considerably as he takes her in.

It was a bit of a mad rush from when Laurel and Thea arrived on their doorstep. Oliver had been reluctant to agree to help but one pout from Felicity had him throwing their things in a bag and heading to the car Thea had clearly ordered. (Oliver himself may now not have the money for such extravagances, but his sister is still the sole living heir of Merlyn’s fortune, and with him proclaimed dead to the world, that money is hers.)

Despite their assurances that the help will just be this once, Oliver can tell as they enter the newly named Star City that they won’t be returned to Ivy Town for at least a little while. Even if he didn’t have a premonition that this task is far more than taking down a few ghosts, the change in Felicity as they approach the city is clear.

It’s not that she hasn’t been happy whilst they’ve been away, and the news of the baby has clearly both brightened and worried her, but there’s that sparkle in her eyes as she reads over the information that Thea and Laurel have supplied on the ghosts.

She missed this, fighting for the city, and Oliver can’t deny that he agrees.

Even if he’d much rather be in Ivy Town with her and their baby.

And it’s that there that has him so worried about returning to the city. The fact that their mission hasn’t changed the fabric of the city means that it’s still incredibly dangerous and Oliver is terrified about what that means for his love and their baby. He can’t have either of them hurt, he truly doesn’t know what he’d do.

In Ivy Town he knows that they’re safe, they can build a life there without worrying about it being ripped from under their feet. Star City is a different matter entirely and as the car pulls up to the Palmer Technologies building, Oliver feels as if his control is slipping more and more.

Thea flashes him a bright smile as she leads them down to the basement with Laurel. Oliver knows that he should be glad to see his sister and friend but he can’t help the burst of annoyance as he remembers what they interrupted back in Ivy Town. Felicity’s hand slides into his own and the bare status of her left finger pierces through him as he knows that they’ve just changed it all.

Swallowing, he forces himself to concentrate on helping Felicity down the steps (those heels combined with the steps and the baby freak him out maybe more than he should) and on getting back into the vigilante mindset.

“Felicity and I have a lot to catch up on so maybe take us through all the evidence the team has gathered?” He suggests as they step fully into the basement.

It’s essentially bare. Oliver knows that Felicity offered it to the team knowing that they couldn’t continue running their operation out of the executive floor lab and with the Foundry out of commission due to Lance, they needed a base. There’s a few tables with Felicity’s computer equipment and such but it’s mostly concrete floors, walls, and pillars.

“That’s easy, nothing.” Thea states dryly, looking back over her shoulder with a wry smile. Oliver sighs, grateful for Felicity’s reassuring smile when he looks her way.

“Okay, well maybe we can go over all your encounters with the ghosts and Felicity can try and…” Oliver trails off as they follow Thea and Laurel deeper into the space to reveal John sat behind one of the desks.

Oliver feels his heart clench at the sight of the man he considers to be his brother. He’s tried to apologize but he knows that nothing will ever make up for what he did to Lyla and Baby Sara last year under the guise of Al Sa-Him. He’s thought about it a lot since Felicity told him their happy news and he knows how unforgivable his actions were.

But Oliver can’t deny that he misses his brother something awful and the sight of the shocked and angry look on John’s face cuts through him deeper than any sword. Oliver can tell that Laurel’s about to say something to cut through the tension but Felicity moves first, her heels clicking on the floor as she rushes over to her friend.

“You are a sight for a weary traveler’s eyes, John Diggle.” She proclaims and Oliver sucks his lips back into his mouth to keep from smiling as she wraps him tightly in one of her hugs. Oliver swears those arms of hers have special powers and he can see them working their wonders on John as he relaxes into her. A soft smile even worms its way across his previously cold face.

“Just a weary traveler? Don’t you mean CEO of this whole place?” John questions, his tone far lighter than Oliver expects but he also knows that his friend and brother is incredibly protective of Felicity. She’s like a sister to him and Oliver knows her happiness is extremely important to him.

“In absentia.” Felicity reminds him in a reprimanding tone as they pull apart from their hug and John laughs.

“I’ve been saying for years that you’re really the one in charge.” He tells her with a gentle smirk and Felicity lets out a peal of laughter, her inherent light flooding into the dark and cold space and easing Oliver’s anxiety even though she isn’t even looking at him.

“I missed you.” Felicity tells John, tilting her head and grasping his arm. Oliver can see the moment that look of hers breaks the strong façade John is presenting seconds before his face splits into a wide grin.

Oliver is so glad to see that no matter how John feels about him, he’s not letting it affect his relationship with Felicity. The friendship the two of them share is something so special and Oliver would never want to come between that.

“I missed you too, Felicity.” John tells her, bending to drop a kiss to her forehead. Oliver watches Felicity’s own face split open in a grin.

“Your help is much appreciated.” Laurel speaks up, looking between Oliver and Felicity with what Oliver supposes is a smile, although it looks a little pained.

“Speaking of help…” Felicity starts, moving over to the desks and sitting down as she cracks her knuckles loudly. “Oh yeah, come to Mama. Um, I mean…”

She catches herself as she draws the keyboard close to her and Oliver has to turn his head to hide the snort that bubbles through him. He knew it wouldn’t be long before one of them slipped about the baby but it’s her correction that all the more suspicious seeing as she’s been wont to call herself the mother of her computers for far longer than they’ve all known her.

She’s such a dork but good lord, he loves her.

“Are we just going to ignore this huge elephant in the room?” Thea speaks, forever blunt, and gestures between Oliver and John with a frown as if expecting them to launch into some long winded apology there and then. Oliver knows, however, he’s got some work to do in order to earn John’s trust back and it’s going to take far more than his baby sister’s extremely unsubtle prompting.

“There’s no elephant, Thea. I’m just not comfortable fighting alongside a man who kidnapped my wife and endanger my baby girl.” John answers, turning back to look at Oliver and Thea. His expression is completely different to when he was addressing Felicity and his walls have clearly thrown themselves back up. He crosses his arms over his chest and Oliver takes a deep breath, nodding his head as he steps closer.

“And I do not mean to step on your toes, I’m just here to help you with your problem and then get out of your hair.” He tries to explains but John crosses his arms over his chest with an unimpressed look.

“We don’t need your help, Oliver.” He states simply and Oliver resists the urge to sigh. He knows he deserves this coldness after his actions at the start of the summer, but it hurts to have his brother be so opposed to him.

“With all due respect, John, the other members of your team seem to think you do.” He answers calmly instead, resisting the urge to look at Felicity to gain the strength he needs.

“Which is something we should have talked about.” John directs his unimpressed gaze to Laurel and Thea stood behind Oliver and they both move forward, flanking Oliver. 

“Thea and I did.” Laurel states as she too crosses her arms over her chest. Her jaw line squares as she stares John down and Oliver wonders briefly how they’ve gotten anything done if this is their idea of teamwork.

“We need their help.” Thea adds, her tone a lot softer as she looks at John. He sighs and looks at Oliver again, his expression indiscernible as he practically inspects him.

Oliver can feel the tension filling the room and it sinks down on his shoulders like a heavy weight. It’s incredibly awkward but it’s all he can do to stand there whilst the man he calls brother stares at him as if he’s practically a stranger.

“Um guys, not to interrupt your… grr… but we have a problem.” Felicity’s voice cuts through the tension like a knife, soft and sweet which indicates her true hesitancy to speak up. They all turn to face her and Oliver can see by the trepidation on her face that whatever it is she’s found is nowhere near good. “I hacked into Kord Industries just to see what the ghosts stole. Cluster bombs, centrifuged and high yield. Any more powerful and they’d have to be nuclear.”

“What do we do?” Laurel questions, suddenly sounding far less sure of herself than she did earlier.

Both she and Thea turn to look at Oliver but he turns to look at John who straightens his back and unfurls his arms, standing tall as he proclaims, “Whatever it takes to save the city.”

* * *

The next few days pass in a whirlwind. Being back in Star City is both a blessing and a curse.

Felicity is so glad to be back doing what she loves, helping people and doing it surrounded by people that she has dearly missed. Heck, she even got excited to see Lance.

She’s just worried that it’s coming at the cost of losing everything that she’s built with Oliver over the past few months. She’s seen more stress roll off of him in the last forty-eight hours than she’s seen all summer and that worries her.

They’ve already disagreed over Felicity admitting that she’s been helping the team out this summer whilst they’ve been away. She feels awful for not telling him but with everything that was going on between him and John and him wanting to leave the mission and Star City behind, she knew it probably wasn’t something he wanted to hear about. He took it well in the moment but Felicity can see that it’s been playing on his mind and she hates the thought of making him doubt her love for him and want to be with him.

The two of them are not only facing tension from being thrust back into the old surroundings but the team as well. John is extremely cold with Oliver, and Laurel is acting as if she’s the oracle of vigilantism all of a sudden. Neither Oliver nor Felicity can suggest anything without her telling them that what they suggest isn’t how they’ve been doing things which Felicity finds utterly ridiculous seeing as she’s the one that called them in.

Thea is far more welcoming and kind and Felicity is grateful for her warmth in such an otherwise cold environment but, because the young woman is the only other person to know about the pregnancy, Felicity can’t so much as cough without Thea smiling coyly at her. Heaven forbid she attempt to do anything remotely physical because if Oliver’s not on her like a shot, Thea’s there to make sure she doesn’t fall. She appreciates it, but between the two Queen siblings, she feels like she’s got her own human bubble wrap and she’s not even showing yet.

They push through the mission, successfully intercepting the bombs on the train in time before they cause any damage to civilians. Felicity is surprised to hear Damien Darhk is the man behind it all. They all assumed he left town when Oliver and Felicity did so to hear that he’s back and causing mayhem doesn’t exactly fill her with joy.

The team flood back into the makeshift lair under Palmer Tech with Thea sending a conspiratorial glance to Felicity when she catches her quickly removing her hand from where it had been absentmindedly resting on her belly. Felicity answers with a warning look but her stomach flips nervously as Oliver makes his way across the room towards her. She knows they’re going to need to tell John and Laurel soon because it won’t be long before she looks less like she’s eaten a big lunch and more decidedly pregnant but that all depends on whether Oliver wants to stay in the city or not.

They talked about it seriously last night, curled up on the couch in Thea’s practically empty loft. Felicity doesn’t want him to make the decision based off of her wants but she also wants him to think about it seriously before giving up on the idea of staying.

_“What do you want to do?” Oliver asks her as they sit in the living area of the open plan loft. There’s a lamp turned on against the back wall but apart from its soft glow, they’re illuminated in only moonlight._

_Oliver’s deep blue eyes stare down at her as if she has all the answers and Felicity sighs, wrapping herself more around his arm and swinging her legs over his lap. His hand that isn’t wrapped around her back lands on her leg and his thumb draws gentle, soothing circles through the material of his old, worn pajama pants she’s stolen._

_“I’d go anywhere with you, you know that.” She answers simply, pressing a kiss to his shoulder. They slump as he sighs and Felicity presses herself closer, trying to offer all the comfort she can._

_“But you want to stay here? It would make you happy to do that?” He questions, his eyebrow quirking in the way that lets Felicity knows that he’s really trying to understand her point of view._

_“I am happy wherever you are but yes, I have missed this. I missed helping people and the team. It gives my life purpose.” Felicity repeats from their conversation earlier, sighing too as she turns to rest her head on his shoulder and stare out the large windows for a moment, admiring the view of the first city that’s ever really felt like home. She can feel Oliver’s eyes still on her and she gently caresses his arm where hers are wrapped around it before she looks back at him, searching his worried eyes. “Talk to me, what are you thinking?”_

_“I’m scared.” Oliver admits after a long moment’s silence, swallowing thickly as he forces his eyes onto her own. There’s a brutal honesty to them and Felicity is taken aback by it for a moment, still amazed at how far they’ve come in their ability to communicate._

_Oliver admitting such a thing to her a year ago would’ve been unheard. She’s so proud of him, so proud of them, and it’s how she knows that no matter where they go, they and their baby are going to be okay._

_“Of the city? Its danger?” She questions further, keeping her voice gentle as she prods. Oliver sighs but it’s clear that he’s not annoyed at her questions, just thinking about how best to answer them._

_“Yes, but also the person I become when I’m here.” He tells her boldly. Felicity doesn’t speak but raises an eyebrow of her own softly, silently prompting him to elaborate. He pulls her half into his lap, wrapping himself around her tightly before he continues. “I love being the Arrow, it gives me that purpose you talk about but if it’s all I have to do with my day, I worry about falling back into the darkness.”_

_Felicity feels her shoulders slump as she takes in his words. She knew there was something deeper to this, she just needed him to tell her. It eats at her that he’s so worried about that, when he’s worked so hard to bring himself back from the precipice so many times. But she knows that he can be a vigilante and stay in the light, he just needs someone to remind him of that._

_“Well I can certainly give you a few other things to do with your day…” She comments with a chuckle as she presses herself impossibly closer to him, watching as Oliver face practically melts into a groan. She squeals involuntarily as he flips her to straddle his lap, the sound being swallowed by Oliver’s mouth as he kisses her. It’s hot and heavy and full of promise for later as he arms traverse her back._

_They pull away with heavy breaths and Felicity sits back on his knees, her arms wrapped loosely around his neck. She sends him a soft smile as she plays with the hair at the back of his neck, his hands landing gently on her hips._

_“Maybe it’s not just the city?” She ponders after a long moment, directing his gaze to hers with a gentle hand under his chin._

_“What do you mean?” Oliver questions, his brow furrowing in that adorable way that always makes her want to kiss his forehead._

_“Maybe you need to figure out what you want to do in the light of day, if you know you do want to be the Arrow again.” She explains softly and his frown only intensifies._

_“I want to be with you.” He states plainly, sliding her closer on his lap so that he can burrow his head into her neck._

_“I know that, silly…” She laughs and shakes her head, tugging gently on his hair to pull him back from pressing kisses along the skin of her neck. “But I know you, you get antsy. Maybe you need to figure out a new path.”_

_Oliver frowns for a second more before a wide grin spreads across his face and he pulls her close again. “You need an executive assistant?” He questions, his voice suddenly light and, as amazed at the quick change of mood as she is, Felicity cannot help but laugh._

_“Honey, I love you, but Gerry is incredible and he’s far more organized than you could ever be.”_

_Oliver looks up at her with a pout at her words and she laughs, shaking her head at his silliness. She’s so glad they’ve found this lightness here; she was worried about the darkness of the city weighing down on them._

_“Probably wouldn’t be the best idea. I spent most of the time when you were my EA fantasizing about bending you over my desk in those tight skirts of yours. We’d never get any work done now that we’re not dancing around each other.”_

_“We’ll circle back round to that one later.” Felicity gasps, reluctantly plucking his hands off of her and attempting not to groan as she accidently grinds into his lap in the process. Swallowing thickly, she intertwines their fingers and presses forward to kiss him gently. It’s short, sweet and full of affection, and she gives him a soft smile as they pull apart. “I love you and I know that you are capable of doing so much good. We just need to figure out what you want to do with that capability.”_

_“You’ll help me?” He questions, clear nerves in his gaze and Felicity smiles, running her hands through his hair._

_“Of course I will. I did sort of steal your company after all.” She comments, tilting her head with a small frown and Oliver laughs, shaking his head,_

_“You’re doing a far better job of it than I ever did.” He tells her and the pride in his tone and gaze makes her freeze for a moment. “But you’re right, as always. I want our baby to be proud of me, to be proud of the work I do both as the Arrow and in the light.”_

_His hand disentangles from hers to travel down to where her tank top is smoothed over the indiscernible slight round of her belly. It’s their little secret, as Oliver keeps calling it, seeing as its completely unable to spot unless you know._

_“We’re both already so proud of you.” She promises and smiles when he looks up at her, their eyes meeting in a promise of forever._

_But she already knew that._

It’s Thea who brings it up now, setting her bow down as she turns to look at her brother.

“What are you going to call yourself now? Everyone thinks Roy was the Arrow.” The young woman questions, forever blunt and to the point.

Oliver’s expression is unreadable but he heads straight for her, placing his bow down next to her computer. Felicity isn’t ashamed to admit her hands immediately reach for the muscular part of his arm, exposed in his new suit, which she’s also not ashamed to admit he looks _incredible_ in.

She’s one lucky lady.

“Won’t need a codename if he’s headed back to Ivy Town.” John comments and Felicity resists the urge to spin around and glare at him. He and Oliver have come far in the couple of days since they’ve been back, but they’re nowhere near the warm relationship they once had, and John’s little sly comments are really starting to rub Felicity the wrong way.

She’s distracted, however, by Oliver’s intense gaze landing on her and she looks up to meet his eye. She can tell by the way he’s looking at her that they’re staying in the city and she cannot help the smile that spreads across her face as he turns to declare as such to the others.

As he speaks, she wraps her arms around his arm, pressing her body up against it as she presses a gentle kiss to his shoulder through the leather of his suit. She’d forgotten in their months away how scary it is to let him out in the field without knowing if he’ll return and the relief combined with the way seeing him in the suit again is making her a little hot under the collar has her a little clingy.

She notices his incredibly tight pants tighten a little more and smiles at the fact that she seems to have the same power over him.

They separate as John takes off towards the door and Oliver follows him, glancing back at Felicity with a clear question in his eye. Felicity nods, knowing what he’s asking and also knowing that if they’re going to do this, they need to disclose everything to the team.

“John. John!” Oliver calls after him and Felicity watches as their friend heaves a long sigh as he turns around.

The large man adjusts awkwardly where he’s stood, his leather jacket moving with him. “Oliver, listen man, I’m not quite there yet, and so…” 

“I know, I know.” Oliver interrupts, holding his hand up to assure him that it’s okay. Felicity is amazed at Oliver’s ability to take all of this on the chin when it’s really rattling her and it’s not even directed at her. “But there’s something Felicity and I should tell you before we settle back into the city.”

He turns to face her, extending his hand and Felicity can’t help the warm smile that spreads across her face as she joins him, wrapping both her hands around his large one. Thea grins at them as she bounces on her toes in clear excitement but Laurel and John are frowning, the former crossing her arms over her chest in a way that sets Felicity on edge.

“Well I guess there’s no easy way to say this. Um… I’m pregnant.”

“You’re what?” John asks, his eyes widening as he looks between her and Oliver with alarm on his face. Laurel’s expression is no better, her brow having furrowed immediately as she stares at them in similar disbelief. Only Thea, who was already aware anyway, smiles as she bounces excitedly.

“Isn’t it exciting? Oh wait, can we tell people now? I have been _dying_ keeping this secret.” Thea grins, looking at Oliver with her eyes lit up in hope. Felicity looks up at him too, smiling as a smile spreads across his face slowly. Thea’s reaction is almost the complete opposite to Laurel and John’s and Felicity’s glad she’s here to interject some positivity into the room.

“Not everyone, Speedy.” Oliver tells her with a soft chuckle and he looks down at Felicity with hope in his eyes when Thea whoops delightedly. He gives her a soft smile and she takes a deep breath, letting his calm expression calm her.

“Thea knew?” Laurel questions, her eyebrow raised accusingly and Felicity blanches for a moment, baffled by the concept that Laurel thinks she would rank on the same level as Thea in their lives. Felicity likes Laurel well enough and she knows that she and Oliver have history, but given the nature of that history, it seems odd that she should think she deserved to be one of the first to know.

 _Which she is,_ Felicity reminds herself with a deep breath.

“Thea guessed.” Thea replies proudly, smirking smugly as she stands a little taller.

“You’re pregnant?” John asks and Felicity turns to face him. The shocked look on his face hurts far more than Laurel’s reaction. She wishes he could be happy for them the same way both she and Oliver were ecstatic for him when they found out Lyla was pregnant with Baby Sara. She knows he and Oliver have a lot to work through but it makes her so sad to know that he can’t put aside their differences for how excited Felicity is, for not with Oliver.

“Yes.” She confirms, raising her chin in challenge as she finds herself growing agitated, and John swallows, nodding his head.

“Congratulations.” He tells her, a soft smile _finally_ painting its way across his face, but it feels so insincere to Felicity and it’s a punch to the gut.

“Yeah, congratulations.” Laurel answers too and it’s equally as insincere but Felicity nods in thanks nonetheless with a fake smile of her own. It relaxes into a true one as Oliver tugs his hand out of hers and wraps his arm around her waist to tug her closer. He places a kiss on top of her head and she sighs, leaning into the comfort he provides.

“There’s still one more thing we need to do.” Oliver tells them and Felicity frowns, looking up at him in confusion but he just smiles serenely down at her.

* * *

The broadcast goes well and Oliver feels pretty good about his rebranding as he carries the last box up from the moving van. Felicity organized to get all their stuff shipped in a matter of hours and they drove out themselves to collect the last few things and do a final sweep. It was extremely sad to see the house empty, knowing that it was the first place they truly lived _together,_ but Oliver does feel good about being back in Star City.

He’s hopeful that everything will work out and they can build a safe environment for their family.

As he enters the loft, which Thea has declared they can have now that she’s properly moved in with Laurel, he smirks at the sight of Felicity.

She’s stood leaning against one of the main pillars, watching the TV where she’s playing the broadcast. She’s dressed in leggings and a simple black singlet lined with lace but she’s covered that with a thick light blue blanket draped over her shoulders. Oliver smirks as he places the box down and makes his way over, his smile growing at the familiar glint in her eye.

He knows she collaborated on that new suit with Cisco and he finds it hilariously endearing that she made sure all his requests lined up with her particular favorite parts of his body.

“That’s the last of the boxes which means you have a call to make.” He comments and she turns to look at him, her lips pouting as her expression immediately melts into one of petulance.

“Ugh, do I have to?” She questions, reaching for him with a pout. Oliver chuckles, affectionately rolling his eyes as he wraps his arms around her to tug her close. She’s resistant to the idea of calling her mother, which they agreed she would do when they finished getting all their things to the loft. He knows that telling John and Laurel has put a sour taste in her mouth but he can’t imagine that _Donna_ is going to react anything but positively.

“Yes. She deserves to know, Felicity, especially seeing as we’ve told John and Laurel now.” He reminds her, smiling down at her as she continues to pout. She’s so adorable and he’d probably give in to her if he didn’t know that this was so important.

“And that went so well.” She sighs, leaning against his chest with a huff but he just smiles, rubbing a hand over her back and leaning his head against hers.

“They’ll come around.” He tells her, feeling positive that his words are true. He sort of has to believe it but also, to be honest, he finds it difficult to not look forward to the future when he knows that means his and Felicity’s child coming into the world.

“I’m not sure if I like this optimistic Oliver.” Felicity huffs sarcastically, tilting her head up and poking his chest with her chin.

“Minx.” He rolls his eyes affectionately, tapping her on the nose and laughing when her face scrunches up adorably. “Call your mom and I’ll give you a foot rub in reward.”

“You play dirty, Mr. Queen.” She scowls as he pulls away and Oliver chuckles, stepping back forward to cup her cheek and lean over her.

“You don’t know the half of it, Miss Smoak.” He whispers before kissing her deeply. She groans as he pulls away and he capitalizes on her brief distraction to reach for her phone and press it into her hand. “Your mother.”

Felicity huffs but moves to the couch, tugging the blanket tighter around her shoulders as she sits down. She hits the screen a few times before balancing the phone on the couch arm, the dialing sound turning into background noise as Donna picks up. “Hi Mom.”

“Oh my goodness, hi baby! How are you? Oh it’s been so long since we talked. Are you still in Ivy Place?”

Oliver cannot help but smile at the enthusiastic tone of Donna’s voice as he moves to turn the TV off. He loves Donna, she’s such a burst of energy and, well, he’s always going to love anyone who loves Felicity as much as he does. They’re kindred spirits in that way.

“Ivy Town, Mom, and no, we’re back in Star City now.” Felicity responds, clearly a little nervously. It is odd, Oliver had just gotten used to calling Ivy Town his home but as he looks out over the skyline through the window, he does admit that he feels like he’s home.

“Oh really? For good?” Donna questions and Oliver turns as he feels Felicity’s eyes on him.

“I think so.” She comments in response to her mother as the two of them share a soft smile.

“Oh well, I suppose that makes sense what with your work and everything. How’s Oliver?” Donna asks and Oliver wiggles his eyebrows, grinning when it earns him a warning glare from his girlfriend.

“He’s good, Mom, we actually have some news to tell you.” Felicity answers and Oliver can tell how nervous she is so he moves quickly across the room, settling down next to her and holding her hand.

“Oh my goodness, are you engaged?” Donna asks excitedly and Oliver tries his best not to look suspicious when Felicity blanches. He thinks of how he’s already hidden his mother’s ring in the box of Hanukkah decorations he’s placed in the top of the wardrobe already.

Thea and Laurel interrupting the proposal has really knocked his confidence regarding the whole thing. He still wants more than anything to make Felicity his wife, he knows that she’s the one, there’s no denying that, but with everything still in motion as they settle back into the city, he just can’t find a moment to be perfect.

“No, Mom, no, but um… I am pregnant.” Felicity’s voice drags him out of his thoughts, and he squeezes her hand as she struggles to get the words out.

Oliver is unsurprised but it still makes him jump as the loud scream radiates out from the phone and bounces off the empty walls of the loft. Felicity winces but they both frown when the line goes utterly silent.

“Mom, are you okay?” Felicity questions, biting her lip as if she might regret her question. Oliver smirks, lifting their joined hands to kiss the back of hers.

“OH MY, BABY! MY BABY’S GOING TO HAVE A BABY!” Donna’s loud squeal sounds once more and Oliver grins, Donna’s happiness radiating even through the phone. Felicity smiles too and Oliver has to admit that even though he didn’t let John and Laurel’s reactions upset him too much, it’s so nice to have someone else share in the same excitement that the two of them are experiencing.

“I take from that you’re okay with this?” Felicity questions, obviously still a little nervous and Oliver slides closer, wrapping an arm around her back as her mother calms her fears.

“Okay with it? Oh Felicity, honey, this is such incredible news. I’m so happy for you. Oh and with yours and Oliver’s genetics that baby is going to be so gosh darn adorable. I cannot wait to love on him or her with everything I’ve got.”

“Thanks Mom, we’re really excited too.” Felicity sighs, turning her head to smile up at him. Oliver loses himself in her gentle smile for a moment, wondering how on earth he ever got so lucky as to have such an amazing and beautiful woman by his side.

 _They’re having a baby_ , it seems that no matter how many times he repeats it, the blissful shock doesn’t wear off. Oliver simply cannot believe that he gets to be so lucky.

“How long have you known?” Donna asks and they both snap out of their daze, snuggling closer to each other as they turn to face the phone.

“A few weeks. We just didn’t want to tell anyone because I was quite sick at the start and we were a little worried.” Felicity explains and Oliver feels his lips pout at the reminder of how awful she had felt when they found out. Her morning sickness was terrible and it was all Oliver could do to help and hold her hair back. It made him feel so helpless to be unable to make her feel any better and they’d both been pretty miserable despite the happiness that the news of the pregnancy brought. 

“Oh I know, baby. Smoak women get morning sickness with the strength of an avalanche. Are you still not feeling great?” Donna questions sympathetically and Oliver winces, thinking of that morning when she’d had to rush upstairs under the guise of really needing to go to the bathroom from the lair in front of everyone.

He’s glad that, at the very least, telling Laurel and John means they don’t have to make excuses.

They’re both pretty bad liars.

“It’s better than it was, but it’s still pretty bad.” Felicity winces and Oliver leans forward, pressing a few kisses to her neck in the spot that he knows always relaxes her. She indeed sighs and leans back into him, their hands entangling over her belly.

“I’m so sorry, baby. I’ll send you some things that might help. Is Oliver there?”

“Hi Donna.” Oliver answers, smiling gently against the soft skin of Felicity’s neck as his free hand travels up to her head and massages her scalp.

“You look after my baby, okay? She’s carrying _your_ baby and that’s exhausting work.” Donna tells him sternly and Oliver chuckles, nodding his head before remembering that the fierce matriarch can’t see him.

“I’ve got her, Donna, I promise.” He replies and Felicity hums, relaxing into him further and that small display of trust speaks mountains to Oliver. It’s something he wouldn’t trade for the entire world.

“Oh I know you do, such a good one you’ve got there, baby.” Donna praises and Oliver cannot help but smile. It fills him with pride to know that he has Donna’s approval. As much as Felicity and Donna can sometimes clash, her mother is the most important person in Felicity’s life and Oliver wants her to like him.

“I know, Mom.”

“Oh my goodness, I can hardly contain myself! My first grandbaby!” Donna squeals and Oliver chuckles, rubbing his thumb over where Felicity’s stomach is just starting to swell ever so slightly. He’s just as excited inwardly as Donna is outwardly so her squealing only encourages his joy. 

“I’m so glad you’re happy, Mom.” Felicity tells her with a gentle sigh, inclining her head to give Oliver better access to her neck.

“Oh baby, I’m happy as long as you’re happy.” Donna says and Oliver can hear the smile in her voice. It warms his heart to know how much the two women care for each other and he thinks that they really must have Donna out to visit them soon. “I’ll let you lovebirds get back to your nesting. Call me if you need anything, Felicity!”

“I will do, Mom. I love you.” Felicity calls and Oliver smiles at Donna’s soft gasp.

“Oh I love you too, my sweet, sweet girl. Bye, Oliver.” The excitable mother calls out and Oliver grins, digging his head out from Felicity’s neck to call a response.

“Bye Donna, lovely to talk to you.”

“Alright, bye, bye.” Donna speaks, making the sound of kisses before the line goes dead and Felicity slumps fully into his arms.

“There, wasn’t so bad was it?” Oliver chuckles, pressing a few more kisses to her neck and she squirms adorably when he hits a particularly ticklish spot. They laugh, the sound of their joy echoing off the walls before they settle back into the couch and Felicity tucks herself into his side. Oliver leans into the feeling of her weight against his, a sold reminder of her presence and love.

“You’re sure this is what you want, staying here?” She questions after a long moment and Oliver turns to see her concerned eyes looking at him worriedly. He answers with a smile, leaning forward to brush his nose softly against hers in reassurance.

“This is my city, my home. I have a purpose here. This is where we should be.” He tells her decisively and finds that as he speaks the words, he believes them. Star City is his home and he has a duty to protect it.

“I agree.” Felicity smiles over at him, her bright eyes shining as she drags her hand over his cheek before placing it carefully over her stomach. “And this little nugget can grow up safe in the knowledge that they have two parents who love them very much and would do anything for them.”

“That’s right.” Oliver gasps amazedly, bending to kiss her belly through her t-shirt. Felicity’s hands fist in his hair as he does so and he resists the urge to groan as she tugs on it gently.

“Oliver?”

“Hmm?” He questions, looking up to see Felicity’s eyes sparkling with a familiar look of want.

“Take me to bed. You owe me a foot rub.” She tells him and Oliver grins, shifting to lift her into his arms bridal style and carry her towards the stairs in a move that he hopes he can repeat for every night for the rest of their lives.

“As you wish.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Felicity faces some backlash at work, Oliver and John take steps to mend their relationship, and Baby Sara remains adorable.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! I am so sorry that this chapter has taken me so long to get around to! I hope you all enjoy and please let me know if you do by leaving a kudos/comment down below. They really do make my day! 
> 
> [This chapter contains some dialogue from 4x02 and 4x03, which is obviously not mine]

Settling back into Star City is both easy and insanely difficult.

It’s their home, the place they met and fell in love, the place they’ve forged connections as deep as family. The things they’ve been through in Star City are the things that have made them who they are and placed them in the positions they’re in today.

But it’s also all so different.

John and Laurel, whilst coming around, are still exceedingly cold towards Oliver and it makes the makeshift-Foundry an increasingly difficult place to be. Thea, despite her warmness towards them, is quite clearly hiding something and neither Oliver nor Felicity know what to do to get it out of her. Their attempts to track Damien Darhk and HIVE are coming up cold at every turn and that’s before Felicity even gets onto what’s happening outside of Green Arrow work.

Felicity knows that she’s capable of being CEO. She knows that she has the mind for it and the initiative. Heck, she practically ran QC whilst Oliver was CEO.

It would just be nice if the people around her would believe such a thing too.

Walking into your first in-person board meeting and being told your task is to fire your employees is certainly not what Felicity would call ideal.

Walking into your first in-person board meeting, being told your task is to fire your employees, and then having to tell said board that you’re pregnant?

Yeah, that’s the worst of the worst.

“We’re going to have to seriously consider this, Miss Smoak.” Mr. Dennis frowns after she explains, his already stern look growing sterner as he stares at her.

“I understand your worry but this does not at all alter my commitment to this company or my dedication to getting it back in its feet.” She tells the board, trying to search for a friendly face. One of the women at the back of the room chances a small smile but quickly drops it when she spots Mr. Dennis looking her way.

“You say that now, but in a few months time…” The board head frowns and Felicity feels her blood boiling in her veins. She expected resistance but there’s little that angers her more than misogynists believing women shouldn’t be in STEM. She knows that Mr. Dennis is a sexist, he’s been resistant to her since the news of Ray leaving the company to her broke, but she’ll be damned if she’s going to let him use the miracle growing inside her as an excuse to aid that sexism. 

“Are you saying you don’t believe pregnant women are capable of doing their jobs? If that is the case, I can point you to several policies of this company that state otherwise.” Felicity counters, turning to stare straight at the man with a raised eyebrow. She purses her lips and delights internally at the way Mr. Dennis visibly squirms for a moment.

“Well, what about the company’s image? Miss Smoak, you’re not married, you’re not settled…” He tries a different angle but Felicity, who is already tired of this conversation, cuts it before he can even finish his sentence.

“If my personal life has anything to do with my ability to run this company, I will make you aware of it. For now, it does not and it should not factor into people’s perception of my ability to do my job.” She states clearly, looking around the room, and she’s very glad to see many of the board nodding their heads in agreement and approval.

“These are all good words, Miss Smoak, but…” Mr. Dennis, however, seems unconvinced but Felicity isn’t going to let him spearhead her. She knows that she can continue to do her job through this pregnancy and she’s not going to let a sexist stop that.

“Those are my final words on the matter. I had no obligation to share this news with you but I did so out of courtesy. My partner and I are very excited, thank you very much.” She interrupts him once more, unable to resist adding her final comment with a sarcastic smirk and Mr. Dennis at the very least has the decency to look awkward about it.

They agree to wrap up the meeting there and the board members pack up their things, leaving the conference room quickly. Felicity sighs, flopping down into a chair as the staff at the back of the room also begin to leave.

“Not you. Mr. Holt was it? You stay.” She calls and the tall man who introduced his ‘algorithm’ earlier turns awkwardly, looking between the door and Felicity with an unsure expression.

“Yes, Curtis Holt. I was actually going to go look at the numbers again…” He tells her, pointing towards the door but Felicity sighs, sitting up properly in the chair.

“You mean the numbers that are going to produce a list of people I have to fire? No, we’re not doing that.” She states, wiggling her finger in the air as she shakes her head.

“But Mr. Dennis…” Curtis starts, looking back to the door, and Felicity scoffs.

“Mr. Dennis is quite clearly the type of man who needs a different solution thrown underneath his nose. I know the kind, trust me.” She nods, reaching for her tablet and pulling up the company’s current projects.

“Okay, I still don’t…” Curtis tries but Felicity interrupts him again, gesturing for him to sit down.

“Ask for forgiveness, not permission.” She tells him and Curtis frowns.

“That’s terrible advice.” He replies disbelievingly and Felicity shakes her head.

“Usually, I would agree with you, but in this situation… now, can we use your magic downsizing algorithm or is it just made to put people out of jobs?” She questions, sliding the tablet across the desk towards him. Her voice is cold, not wanting to indicate that she has any level of admiration for his algorithm, but she knows from the fact that he’s involved in nearly all their R&D projects that he’s probably her best bet.

“Downsizing… you think that I… you think that…” Curtis stumbles, looking frazzled at her words, but Felicity is still perturbed from the board meeting and Mr. Dennis’ blatant sexism that she finds her filter even less intact than usual.

“Okay, let’s get one thing clear. The only person who speaks in sentence fragments around here is _me_.” She snips and the harshness of her words seem to jolt Curtis out of his shock. He shakes his head with a long sigh, reaching for the tablet and pulling something up on it.

“I didn’t make the algorithm to get people fired. I was trying to work out where pay increases might be able to occur. It was Mr. Dennis who made me use to work out who to fire. I was trying to get people to get paid more, not nothing.” He explains as he works on the tablet and he hands it back to her as he finishes speaking, his face and tone imploring her to believe him.

“This wasn’t your idea?” Felicity frowns, looking down at what he’s trying to show her which does indeed indicate that Curtis’ initial algorithm was searching to improve wages.

“Not in the slightest.” He tells her and Felicity takes a deep breath, staring at the algorithm in front of her for a long moment before she nods and looks back up at Curtis.

“Good, because you’re going to help me find a solution.”

Curtis’ face morphs in shock before it slowly spreads into a smile as he regards Felicity with an interested look. “Something tells me you’re about to shake things up around here, big time.”

Felicity smiles as she takes a deep breath.

“That’s the plan.”

* * *

Felicity feels so much better as she leans against the couch from her spot on the floor the next night. It’s been a crazy couple of days but with the new project that she and Curtis are going to spearhead, they finally convinced Mr. Dennis to not go ahead with the original plan and the employees on the list kept their jobs. She’s been running back and forth between the office and the makeshift Foundry, trying to keep on top of Team Arrow work along with the crazy situation at Palmer Tech. It hasn’t been easy but she thinks she’s coped quite well and she’s very happy that things seemed to have calmed down at the latter at the very least.

And tonight? She doesn’t have to be holding the team together and stopping them from screaming at each other, nor just she has to act like she has it all together when really she feels like everything is crumbling underneath her.

Tonight, with the little munchkin that has her sat on the floor, she gets to be her new favorite role… Aunt Felicity.

Lyla called earlier, begging Felicity to watch Sara as she had to leave town on an emergency and John was busy. Felicity leaped at the chance, with everything going on with Oliver and John, she’s barely had the chance to see the little cutie and she figures looking after her will be good practice for the little one growing inside her.

She looks up as the door opens to the sound of Oliver’s keys in the door and feels the smile spread across her face at the sight of him. A similar smile spreads across his face and his eyes soften as he takes in the sight of Sara on her lap.

“Hey, baby girl, who is that? Is that your Uncle Oliver?” She prompts, bouncing the baby who follows her point. Sara’s little face lights up and Felicity grins at her excitement.

“Unca Ol’ver!” She calls out, stretching her arms out towards him. Oliver smiles as he shucks his jacket and makes his way over to where they’re sat.

“Well hello there, Miss Sara. It’s been a while, huh?” He questions with a smile. He looks so peaceful and happy; Felicity hasn’t seen him like this for a while. It’s incredibly refreshing. “Oh.”

His eyebrows raise as Sara flings herself up from Felicity’s lap to cling to Oliver’s leg. She snuggles into his pant leg with a happy smile and Felicity smiles softly, watching him lift her properly into his arms as a content feeling settles over her.

“Seems like she missed you.” She comments, gaining his attention and he smiles, holding Sara tight to him. There’s something about seeing him holding their goddaughter that stirs something within her and she feels the emotions stirring within her. Unconsciously, her hand drifts down to rest over her rounded stomach and she can’t help but imagine what their living room might look like in six months’ time. It’ll be their own baby Oliver is holding.

She can’t wait.

“We having a floor party?” Oliver questions, holding Sara safe to his chest as he sinks down next to her on the floor. Sara smiles as he settles, wiggling so that she’s nestled between the two of them. Her little head rests against Oliver’s chest but her small hand fists in Felicity’s top.

“We are. We got bored of the table and the couch and then our dance party led to the floor.” Felicity explains softly, brushing a gentle hand over Sara’s hair before she meets Oliver’s eyes. He smiles at her softly, the tenderness turning her stomach in that familiar way. She can tell he’s having the same thought as her, thinking of what this might look like with their own little one. She can also tell he’s just as soft as she is at the thought.

“You had a dance party without me? I can’t believe you missed out on my sweet moves.” Oliver gasps dramatically and Felicity snorts, raising an amused eyebrow.

“I thought you didn’t dance?” She questions, reminding him of his words from John and Lyla’s wedding last year. She’s certainly seen him dance since then, quite a few times on their road trip when alcohol was involved, but it’s still fun to tease him.

“Only for certain special girls,” Oliver replies seriously, his soft smile telling Felicity that he’s thinking of those same hot nights around the Mediterranean.

One of those nights was exactly what landed them in Felicity’s current situation.

Oliver’s hand drifts gently across Sara’s back, the little girl clearly tired as she snuggles closer. He stares down at her for a long moment, wonder in his eyes, and Felicity takes a deep breath, watching him with a similar amazement.

“How was your day? You seem happier.” He asks after a moment and Felicity smirks.

“No more firing. Found another way.” She explains and Oliver’s eyes light up, pride shining in them.

“That’s my girl. And Mr. Dennis is coming around about the pregnancy?” He questions, making Felicity sigh as she continues to stroke Sara’s hair. The little girl is being remarkably well behaved but she figures maybe the dance party wore her out.

“Well, not exactly, but I think that might be a hurdle for another day. Rome, or in this case a female-run Fortune 500 company, wasn’t built in a day.” Felicity answers with a small shrug. Today was a huge victory and she’s not going to let Mr. Dennis’ misogyny dampen that.

“There’s that never wavering optimism,” Oliver smirks and Felicity leans in, brushing her lips against his in a soft kiss. It’s chaste, acceptable for the present little eyes, but it makes Felicity sigh in contentment nonetheless. He smiles softly as they pull away and Felicity lifts her free hand to gently caress his scruff. “I had an idea today about what I might want to do.”

“Oh yeah?” Felicity presses, watching as his expression grows anxious. He’s clearly worried to tell her but she can also see the passion burning behind the worry and that intrigues her.

“Both Lance and Jessica Danforth said something to me today, about Star City needing something the Green Arrow can’t offer. Hope. Someone to fight for it in the light.” He explains and Felicity frowns, taking in his words.

“How are you going to do that?” She asks, not unkindly, but confused as to what his plan is here.

“I’m going to run for mayor.” He states plainly after a deep breath, looking at her completely openly. Felicity feels herself freeze, shock immediately following his words.

She can’t quite process what he’s saying.

Mayor?

That is so not what she was expecting him to say.

“Can you please say something? You being silent freaks me out.” Oliver prompts after a long pause and Felicity melts at the worry written all over his face. Her shoulders slump and she sends him what she hopes is a reassuring smile.

“Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting that. Don’t take this the wrong way but don’t you have to have some form of experience in local politics to run for mayor?” She questions, her brow furrowing as she processes exactly what this might entail. Oliver smiles with a small shrug, relaxing as she doesn’t look immediately repulsed.

“Not officially and this city needs a major shakeup. It needs a leader at its head that cares about its people and their lives. I want to make this city a better place for Sara and our baby to grow up in and I’m trying as the Green Arrow. If I could fight for it in the day too, enforcing legislation and more concrete measures to keep people safe, it would make a hell of a difference.”

A smile spreads across Felicity’s face as Oliver explains himself. There’s so much passion in his voice, so much drive and want to do good. Being mayor is certainly not what she ever envisioned Oliver doing but she can see in that moment just how _good_ he would be at it.

And the clear passion he has for it and the joy it brings him means she can’t do anything but support it as much as he always supports her.

“You’re smiling at me, what does that mean?” Oliver questions, his eyes skittish and Felicity chuckles, relaxing again.

“It means I think we need to start working on a campaign.” She tells him, her smile widening as his eyes light up with joy.

“You’re okay with this?” He asks, his voice flooding with hope and Felicity smiles reassuringly, reaching out to cup his face once more.

“Oliver, I haven’t seen you be this passionate about the concept of a job… ever. You care about this city and its people. With some practice and training, I think you’d make a fantastic mayor.” She tells him truthfully, smiling as the tension leaves him, his own eyes softening as he looks at her cautiously.

“Really?” He asks, an adorable soft hope to his voice that makes her stomach swoop. She just loves him so much.

“Really.” She promises and his answering smile is just so sweet that it makes her heart swell.

“I just… I want our child to grow up in a better and safer Star City than I did.” Oliver sighs, reaching across Sara to softly brush his fingers against her small bump. Felicity smiles, leaning her head against his shoulder and smiling down at the sight of the resting toddler and his hand against their baby.

“I’m proud of you.” She tells him softly and feels him scoff silently.

“Says the literal CEO who just figured out a way to stop her evil boss from firing half her employees.” He answers and Felicity sits up, narrowing her eyes at him with a soft pout.

“I can be proud of both of us!” She states and Oliver chuckles, his laughing eyes softening as he regards her.

“I’m proud of both of us too.” He replies, pressing his hand a little harder against her stomach. Felicity smiles, leaning in to kiss him again, just as softly and gently as before. Oliver smiles against her lips and Felicity chuckles at the sensation.

They’re interrupted by a loud knock on the door. The stark noise jolts Sara who looks up at them curiously.

“That should be John to pick this one up,” Felicity explains, wiggling away from Sara as she stands from the floor. The little girl pouts up at her but clings to Oliver as he holds her close and stands too with her in his arms.

“Oh, do you think I should go upstairs?” Oliver questions, transferring Sara to his hip as he frowns.

“He knows you live here, Oliver,” Felicity states dryly as she reaches the door, sending him a look before she pulls it open to reveal John looking rather frazzled. It’s an odd look on the usually calm soldier but Felicity supposes parenthood will do that to the best of people.

“Thank you so much for taking her, Felicity, you’re an actual lifesaver. I’m so sorry. My phone was off and Lyla couldn’t get through and I… Oh.” He walks into the apartment, talking to Felicity at a million miles a minute before he freezes at the sight of Oliver holding Sara by the table.

“Hi, John,” Oliver states simply, a small smile on his face but John just continues to frown, turning to look at Felicity in confusion.

“Lyla didn’t mention…” He starts but Felicity has had enough bullshit over the past few days that she’s really not here to listen to John’s whining about Oliver.

“What was I supposed to do, John? Lock him out of his own home?” She asks in a deadpan, raising an unimpressed eyebrow.

“Well no, of course not. I just figured…” John starts but Felicity merely purses her lips and he seems to get the message as he takes a long sigh. He looks at Oliver and then back at Felicity, his face falling into what she’d describe as childish petulance if she didn’t know John better. “I’m not comfortable with him being around Sara.”

“Well, you should have told your wife that before she called me in a panic because you weren’t picking up your phone.” Felicity states simply, shrugging her shoulders. Lyla told her earlier that she shouldn’t worry about Oliver and John, that she’d deal with it, but that’s certainly not the case here.

“Felicity…” John starts but Felicity lifts a hand, effectively silencing him.

“No, we did you a favor tonight, John. Do you know what you do when someone does you a favor? You say thank you. You don’t yell at them.” She explains simply, walking over to Oliver and taking Sara into her own arms. The baby curls into her happily but lights up as Felicity nears John, reaching out for her father. John’s harsh expression softens at the sight of his daughter, holding her close as Felicity transfers her to his arms.

“Dada! Unca Ol’ver!” Sara exclaims happily, gesturing to Oliver, clearly unaware of the tension in the room.

“Hi, baby. Did you miss Daddy?” John ignores her, pressing kisses to his daughter’s soft head.

“Dada! Unca Ol’ver!” Sara replies, pointing at Oliver again with a wide smile on her face.

“Seems like Sara agrees with me.” Felicity can’t help but comment and John ignores her in favor of kissing Sara but Oliver sighs.

“Felicity…” He starts but Felicity finds herself shaking her head, holding her hand up to silence _him._

“No, Oliver! I’m sick of it! You’re not some evil being who can’t be trusted! You’ve proven yourself to be loyal to John time and time again and just because you were placed in an impossible situation…” Her voice rises as she grows more passionate, imploring Oliver to listen to her. even if he won’t defend himself, someone should and it may as well be her. She can completely understand where John is coming from but he needs to let Oliver _try._

She huffs when Oliver shakes his head, cutting across her. “Okay. John is totally entitled to feel how he does about my actions. They were anything but heroic or good. I shouldn’t have done it and I apologize again for them.” He turns his attention to John as he speaks, nodding patiently. John takes a deep breath, rearranging Sara in his arms.

“I just need a bit more time…” He tells them for the millionth time and Felicity feels just about ready to scream when Oliver nods patiently.

“I know, John, and I’m sorry that we’re in this position because of me and my actions. I hope we can someday get back to where we were before, but I know it’s going to take more than apologies.” Oliver reiterates, gaining at the very least a small smile from John.

“Come on, baby, say bye-bye.” John turns to Sara, picking up the bag Lyla left with the little girl.

“Bye-bye Unca Ol’ver!” Sara calls, waving at Oliver. The man’s tense expression immediately melts as he regards the toddler, waving right back.

“Bye baby girl. Oh, thank you very much!” He tells her, smiling and catching the kiss she blows him as he thanks her for it.

“Bye-bye Aun’ ‘Lic’ty!” Sara calls, turning her attention to Felicity who softens at the little girl, approaching John.

“Bye, sweet girl. You be good for Daddy, yes?” Felicity tells her, brushing her hair away from her face and bending to softly kiss her forehead.

“Uh-huh!” Sara tells her clearly, with all the innocence in the world. Felicity might believe her if she hadn’t witnessed the screaming the little one is capable of.

“Thank you for taking her.” John smiles softly at Felicity once more before he heads to the door. Sara waves at them both one last time before the door closes behind father and daughter, leaving Felicity and Oliver alone in their apartment.

“Ugh! I don’t know how you’re staying so calm.” Felicity comments as she turns to face her boyfriend, anger still coursing through her.

“There’s nothing else I can do, Felicity. I’ve said all I can say. I just have to trust that, with time, he’ll come around.” Oliver shrugs, looking like he doesn’t quite believe his own words, but Felicity knows not to push the subject.

“Zen Oliver is weird.” She comments instead, moving to clear up the small mess she and Sara made earlier. The sound of Oliver’s phone going off grabs her attention a few moments later and she looks up to see him frowning down at it. “You okay?”

“It’s Thea. Says she’s going on a spa break with Laurel and that she’ll be back in a few days.” Oliver explains, his eyes on his screen as he relays the message.

“Oh.” Felicity comments, unsure what else to say. It’s not altogether that odd but the timing is strange and Thea’s been acting odd anyway.

“She and Laurel are quite close, huh?” Oliver questions, looking up from his phone and moving towards her.

“They have been living together for months.” Felicity reasons, shrugging her shoulders. It’s not the Laurel of it all that’s confusing her, the two have been close for a while.

“True. It’s just not like Thea to not mention something like this to me.” Oliver frowns, clearly worried and Felicity takes a deep breath, stepping closer to him and rubbing her hands up his arms.

“It might have been a spontaneous thing. That’s very Thea.” She counters, causing him to frown for a moment before his brow loosens.

“True,” Oliver answers, pausing before a small smile spreads across his face. “So, how do you feel about a bath? Some bubbles, I can light some candles?”

Felicity sighs at the prospect. After being run off her feet all day, it’s exactly what she needs. “Throw in that grape soda in the fridge in a wine glass and you’ve got yourself a deal, Mr. Queen.”

“Perfect.”

* * *

The next days are a whirlwind for Oliver. He spends his spare moments trying to find a campaign office space as well as registering his interest in running at City Hall. Felicity and he came up with a few ideas and he starts to put some of them into motion, getting into contact with people who might make good campaign managers and poster designers and the like.

Thea and Laurel head off on their spa getaway which Oliver is still baffled about. Felicity is right that his sister is spontaneous but on top of how she’s clearly hiding something from him already, suddenly heading off on a trip doesn’t make much sense to Oliver. He just hopes that it calms her a little.

Last night, he and John got some legitimate evidence from the ghosts and he thought that maybe they’d made some progress. When they got back to the bunker, however, John shrugged his offer to hang out off in favor of his new usual cold demeanor. Felicity tried to reassure him that he just needs more time, but Oliver knows that it’s grating on her too. Especially how indifferent John’s being about the baby.

Felicity and John are incredibly close, as close as Oliver and John once were, and Oliver knows that it’s hurting her immensely to have him be so cold about what she considers incredible news. She just wants to celebrate with the man she considers her brother.

Oliver doesn’t think anything of heading to the robbery alone. He’s handled similar things over and over again without any backup and it’s not as if he’s completely blind; Felicity is still on comms guiding him through the mission.

He truly wasn’t expecting it to be a meta, and he also wasn’t expecting to hear that the reason they couldn’t get hold of John was he was on a mission of his own, chasing a lead he didn’t care to share with the team.

Oliver knows Felicity is mad from her tense jaw and stiff posture. She’s particularly forceful as she tends to the wound on his face and Oliver winces as she presses a little too hard, frowning as he sees John’s lips quirk over Felicity’s shoulder.

“This hurt?” Felicity questions tensely and Oliver swears she presses it harder into his face as he does so.

“Yeah, it stings.” He answers, wincing when the pain only gets worse.

“Good. That’s what you get for trying to take on a meta all by yourself.” Felicity counters dryly, making Oliver sigh.

“A meta?” John questions, standing up properly from where he was leaning on the table.

“Yeah. It turns out Central City is missing one. Jeremy Tell. Cisco says we should call him Double Down, which doesn’t exactly make sense seeing as he was getting a tattoo when the dark matter wave hit.” Felicity explains, stepping away as she finally finishes.

“We tried to call you,” Oliver tells John at his puzzled look and that seems to surprise the bigger man as he looks at Oliver for a second before schooling his expression.

“Yeah, sorry I couldn’t help out. It’s a long story.” He answers and Oliver takes a deep breath. He’s not happy with the answer but he’s happy to leave it there for now.

Felicity, however, seems to have other ideas.

“Oh my god, it is not a long story. It is the shortest story in history. Two guys go take on criminals without asking for backup, and nearly get killed in the process. I have kept my mouth shut until now because I was hoping the two of you would be capable of removing your heads from your own asses without assistance. Turns out, I was wrong.”

Her voice is strong, not wavering at all as she moves to stand between the two of them, regarding them both with judgmental expressions. It’s that tone of her voice that Oliver hates, when he knows he won’t win. He’s deemed it her loud voice in his head, but he knows not to say that aloud for fear of it only worsening. 

“Hey!” He calls involuntarily, immediately reacting to the implication of his actions being stupid before he really thinks it through. It has Felicity whirring around to face him and there is an altogether terrifying expression on her face.

“No. This is where I talk and the two of you listen. The _only_ way this works is if the three of us have each other’s backs. We cannot do this without trusting each other. The two of you worked as a better team when you thought he was a murderer when you first signed onto this mission.” Felicity states decisively, turning to face John. Oliver can tell that he’s equally stressed at being on the receiving end of it, even though he hides it well.

No one likes to be on the receiving end of Felicity’s loud voice. That’s why Oliver generally does his best to avoid it.

“I don’t think that’s fair. This was a one-time thing. It won’t happen again, Felicity.” John states simply but it seems as if they’ve pushed her too far because Felicity doesn’t stop.

“I agree. It won’t. Because the two of you are going to sit down here until you have worked out your issues. Do we have an understanding?” She questions, even though it’s clear that there is no question involved. Oliver winces at the thought, knowing that John is not going to be susceptible to this idea.

“Felicity…” He tries but it just has Felicity turning back to face him with her eyes blazing once more.

“Oliver Jonas Queen, you know that I am tired and stressed and that is in part due to me carrying your child. Do not piss me off right now. Do we have an understanding?” She repeats and Oliver can tell that she’s reaching the end of her tether. He raises his hands in a slight surrender position, his shoulders slumping as he nods his head.

“Yes.”

“John?” Felicity nods, turning to face their friend to gain his answer.

“I don’t think this is necessary,” John states boldly but he doesn’t get very far.

“Tough shit. I am going to take this to a guy at Palmer Tech to figure out how some lunatic meta is turning tattoos into lethal weapons. If the two of you haven’t figured out your issues by the time I get back, I am going to find some mirakuru soldiers to knock some sense into you.”

With that, she turns on her heel and leaves, her high heels clicking against the concrete floor until she reaches the elevator. Oliver lets out a long sigh, rubbing his hand over his face as he settles into the chair he’s sat on.

“She seems tense.” John comments after a long silence and Oliver sighs again, looking at his friend in disbelief.

“Yeah well things aren’t great at Palmer Tech, we have no leads on Darhk and HIVE, you and I are clearly not getting along, and she’s pregnant. I wouldn’t want to be her right now.” He finds himself defending as he sits up and faces John.

No matter how initially irritating Felicity’s plan is, he knows that she’s right and it’s all born from a place of love for them both. He can’t be mad at her for that, especially when she’s taking the time to bash their heads together when she has so much other stuff going on.

It’s that thought that has him taking a deep breath and facing the man he considers to be a brother to try and sort this out, no matter how terrified that concept has him. “Listen, man, I have tried everything that I possibly can. I’ve apologized and tried to demonstrate my loyalty to you but you are still not even giving me the chance to try and make it up to you.”

“Oliver, there was a time I trusted you with my life. I would’ve taken a bullet for you. I just don’t think I’m there anymore.” John tells him, settling down in a seat of his own. Oliver tries not to let show how much those words hurt. John is his best friend in the world after Felicity and to know that he doesn’t consider him the same anymore really does cut deep.

“I understand that I crossed a line, a huge one, but the way that you’re acting is showing me that you don’t want to try and move to a resolution. You’re not giving me the chance.” Oliver reasons, trying to implore John to see that Oliver isn’t the only one at fault here. He knows he has a lot to make up for but Oliver cannot deny that his friend and brother has also acted in ways they need to move past.

John takes a deep breath, regarding Oliver with an expression that he’s missed. It’s not warm by any stretch of the matter but it’s getting there and there’s a modicum of trust behind his eyes that has Oliver’s heart soaring in hope.

“There’s something you need to know,” John tells him and if Oliver knew him any less, he’d probably consider it to be a huge conversational swerve.

But Oliver does know John, and he knows that he’s a man of action, not words. Even if those actions sometimes take the form of words.

“About?” Oliver questions, sitting up a little straighter.

“HIVE. I lied when I said the name meant nothing to me.” John admits, squirming a little uncomfortably in his chair and Oliver freezes.

HIVE. That’s a link to Damien Darhk.

If John has some info on this already…

“John…”

“I know, it was dumb, but this is personal, Oliver, and I wasn’t in the place.” John implores and Oliver decides not to say anything more of it. They’d made steps here and he’ll be damned if he undoes them by pushing too hard.

“Well, are you going to tell me now?” He questions instead and John nods, standing and reaching for his jacket.

“Not here. There’s something I need to show you too.”

* * *

The Fayad lead turns up cold. Oliver feels awful now that he knows how important this is to John. He just wishes his friend had told him earlier so that they might have been able to catch Fayad before Double Down killed her. He knows, however, that they can fight this and hopefully get John the closure he deserves on Andy’s death.

“There’s something I’m going to need you to do,” Oliver tells him as they leave the warehouse, feeling trepidation rise in him at the thought of possibly knocking down what he’s just so tentatively built back up.

“Oh?” John questions, looking at him with nerves in his eyes.

“Felicity,” Oliver states simply, watching as John’s brow furrows in confusion at his lack of explanation.

“What about her?” He prompts and Oliver sighs, knowing that Felicity will be mad if she ever finds out that he did this. The look on her face when they got back from the lair last week, however, plays over in his mind and he knows it’s the right thing.

“She’s been trying not to let it show but she’s really upset about how you’ve reacted to the news of the baby.” He explains and the two of them stop walking. John frowns as he turns to look at him and Oliver is glad to see that he appears upset at the concept of hurting Felicity.

“I haven’t done anything,” John tells him and Oliver sighs, running his hand over his face.

“Exactly, man. She sees you as a brother and you’ve been completely indifferent to the fact that we’re having a _kid_.” He implores and John freezes for a moment, wincing as Oliver’s brutal honesty sinks in.

“I guess I’ve just been so wound up in my feelings towards you that I forgot who it was that’s actually having the kid.” John frowns, trailing off as he reaches the end of his sentence. He looks up ashamedly and even though his words sting, Oliver is glad to see that he understands how he’s hurt someone they both love very much.

“You are happy for us then?” Oliver questions hopefully, relaxing as John’s shame morphs into an imploring smile.

“Happy? Oliver, I’ve been rooting for the two of you since the first time I saw you together. Is this the way I thought you’d do it? Not quite, but I’m ecstatic for the two of you.” He tells him and Oliver smiles as he hears the truthfulness in John’s voice. It’s exactly what he’s been missing in the interactions with his brother and to hear it returning is everything to him.

“You can tell…” Oliver trails off as his phone starts buzzing incessantly in his pocket.

“Felicity?” He hears John question vaguely in the background but all he can focus on is the news lighting up his phone as his brain clouds with panic.

“Felicity.” He comments blankly, unable to process what he’s seeing properly. What if…?

“Yes, we were talking about Felicity.” John frowns, searching Oliver’s face for some answer to his sudden change in demeanor and it’s his confusion that shocks Oliver back into reality.

“No, there’s been an attack at Palmer Tech. Double Down.” He manages to explain, watching John’s eyes blow wide.

“Shit. Felicity.”

“Exactly. Felicity.” Oliver implores and with that, they both move quickly. Changing back into civilian clothes is a job that takes a matter of seconds for the two of them at this point and it’s not long at all until they’re racing towards the taped off entrance to the high rise.

Oliver spots Lance stood by a squad car and rushes over, John quick on his heels.

“What happened?” He implores the ex-captain, looking around but being unable to spot Felicity’s signature blonde ponytail.

“She had something the meta was after apparently. Any idea how she might have gotten that?” Lance questions and Oliver growls at the uselessness of his response.

“Not the time, Lance.” John comments and Oliver is grateful for the support, even if his panic-ridden mind can’t quite process it right now. What if she’s not okay? What is the baby’s not okay? Why did he ever think it was a good idea to leave her alone like this right now?

“Where is she?” He asks and Lance frowns, gesturing round the squad car to where an ambulance is sat.

“Someone’s taking her statement. Queen!” Lance calls out after him but Oliver is already moving, his heart settling a little at the sight of Felicity seemingly unharmed just finishing up with the officer taking her statement.

“Felicity!” He calls and she turns to look at him, a smile spreading across her face.

“Oh hi.” She greets and Oliver cannot help reaching for her and pulling her into a tight hug when he’s in reach. It’s only when he’s holding her that his mind begins to settle, but he’s still incredibly nervous that something’s happened that he can’t see. “Oh!”

“You okay?” He frowns at her surprise, pulling back to hold her at arms’ length and check her over. She really does appear physically fine but it still doesn’t calm him as he worries about exactly what happened.

Can mere stress harm an unborn baby?

“I’m fine.” She promises but Oliver still frowns, tugging her closer so he can lower his voice.

“The baby?” He questions and her expression softens considerably, reaching out to smooth her hands across his shoulders.

“Fine, promise.” Felicity implores but Oliver is still not convinced.

“Have you been checked out?” He asks, nodding at the ambulance behind them but Felicity just smiles, reaching up to tug softly at the hair on the nape of his neck. It’s a dirty move in public, but one that always calms Oliver and it has the same effect now.

“He didn’t get anywhere near me. We’re fine I promise. I’m more worried about Curtis.” Felicity explains and Oliver freezes, suddenly worried for a moment that ‘Curtis’ is some odd codename for the baby he doesn’t remember agreeing upon.

“Curtis?”

“Co-worker. I was with him. He hit his head before I could fend off Double Down.” She quickly elaborates and Oliver nods for a second before the second half of her sentence processes and he’s freaking out all over again.

“You fended him off?”

“I know how to fire a gun, thank you.”

“Felicity…” Oliver sighs at her words, his heart hammering in his chest once more. He knows that Felicity’s version of being able to fire a gun and his version are very different things and, whilst he’s sure of her capabilities, he’s terrified that she’s going to hurt herself or the baby.

“We’re _fine.”_ She implores and Oliver only truly believes her when she rises onto her toes to gently kiss him.

“Does your co-worker…?” Oliver questions as they pull away, the pieces of her story finally coming together in his head.

“My secret, not yours. Speaking off, Curtis was trying to use the card to track down Double Down and I think if…. There we go.”

Somehow, she produces a tablet seemingly out of nowhere and before Oliver can figure out how, she’s shoving it under his nose to show that she’s tracked Double Down.

Sometimes he really doesn’t know what to do with the level of brilliance she possesses.

“He’s heading out of town,” Oliver comments with a frown as he takes in where the dot on the map is.

“Probably high-tailing it back to Central City. You should go after him.” Felicity states, wiggling the tablet under his nose as if to entice him. Oliver looks around just to check that no one else is looking but the only one with their eyes on them is John.

“I’d rather make sure that you’re okay.” Oliver frowns, looking up from the tablet to see Felicity slumping and leveling him with an affectionate but imploring look.

“I _am._ ” She presses but Oliver bites his lip, shaking his head. He wants to _know_ for sure, even more than he wants to get this guy.

“You don’t know that.”

“Oliver, we do not have the time for me to be seen by a medical professional right now. I’ll even go home and man comms from the couch with a blanket wrapped around me but you and John need to get this guy.” Felicity tells him, wiggling the tablet again and Oliver sighs, trying to get his clouded mind to focus on what she’s saying.

He knows that in one vein she’s right, but in another, he knows that he also is. He doesn’t think there’s anything wrong with being overly cautious about the health of his girlfriend and their unborn baby but then, he also has made a commitment to protect this city and its people.

“He’s out of Star City limits and heading back to Central. Call Barry. I hear he’s pretty fast nowadays.” Oliver comments and Felicity purses her lips, tilting her head as she looks at him.

“We can’t load all our problems off onto Barry just because he’s fast.” She huffs and Oliver chuckles, shaking his head.

“We never load our problems off onto Barry. Plus, this is a _meta_ from his city. I’ll call him myself.” Oliver tells her, reaching for his phone.

Felicity frowns, grabbing his wrist to stop him in his tracks. “You never want to give up control, what is this?”

“This is outsourcing when I know I’m beyond my limits. What we need is to get you checked out and a night in, hopefully with one of our own.” Oliver explains, nodding over to where John is stood and he can see the exact moment Felicity relents.

“Fine, but I reserve the right to say I told you so if things go wrong.” She tells him and Oliver chuckles, relaxing at the thought of getting her looked over by one of the medical professionals on-site.

“I thought you always held that right.”

* * *

Felicity is not a fan of being checked over by the paramedics. She is a fan of Barry and his team catching Double Down and locking him up in their pipeline prison with the help of she, Oliver, and John over remote comms.

She has to admit that maybe calling in some help wasn’t the worst of ideas, and it gave her a chance to chat with Cisco afterward about their plans for the new lair about which she’s very excited.

“To OTA. Original Team Arrow.” She claims as they finally burst through the door of her and Oliver’s apartment later that day.

“Careful, you’ll have him pouting.” John comments with a smirk, gesturing to Oliver and Felicity’s heart lightens at the return of such a teasing and light tone.

“It’s growing on me,” Oliver comments with a small smile of his own. Felicity meets his gaze and feels her face soften a little as his does too, both of them regarding each other tenderly for a long moment.

“I’d say we celebrate with margaritas but…” Felicity chuckles, turning back to John and rubbing a hand over her baby bump. It’s only visible in this dress when she tugs the loose fabric tight over it and John’s eyes widen for a moment before softening. He smiles at her and Felicity, although slightly baffled at the context, smiles back.

“About that… Felicity, I want you to know that I’m really excited for you. I know I haven’t really shown it and I’m sorry for that. I cannot wait to meet your little miracle because that’s what this is… a miracle.”

John’s voice is sincere and calming and it’s everything that Felicity’s been missing that she feels her eyes immediately flood with tears.

“You’re going to make me cry. Not fair to take advantage of a pregnant woman’s emotions, John.” She comments tersely, poking a finger into his chest, and John chuckles, stepping closer.

“C’mere.” He tells her and pulls Felicity into a hug that she gladly falls into. John’s arms might be her second favorite (after Oliver’s of course); she always feels so safe when he cocoons her like this and he only makes it better when he drops a kiss to the top of her head. “Congratulations.”

“Thank you, John, that means a lot.” She nods with a soft smile as they pull apart.

“You’re going to be a fantastic mother.” He tells her with a smile and Felicity frowns.

“How do you know that?”

“Because you’re a fantastic woman.” He counters sincerely and Felicity feels her heart glow. She’s missed this John. She turns towards the kitchen with a smile, meeting Oliver’s gaze with a grin, and she watches as John moves too, leaning in to look at the sonogram pictures on the fridge. “Are these from your first scan?”

“Yeah. They must be also twice that size now.” Oliver states proudly and Felicity chuckles. He’s downloaded an app onto his phone that tells you new things about your baby each day and it’s become his new ritual to read them to her every morning. One of the main things is what size fruit your baby currently is; today revealed they’re the size of a kiwi.

“They? No bets on whether it’s a boy or girl?” John questions and Felicity smiles, moving to stand next to Oliver.

“Of course we don’t mind either way but…” She starts but is rudely interrupted by Oliver snorting.

“Felicity wants a boy.” He states simply and she gasps, turning to look at him with an offended expression.

“I do not mind either way!” She implores to him and then to John who smirks, clearly delighting in their antics.

“I assume you want a girl?” He questions Oliver who smirks.

“I honestly don’t mind, so long as they look like Felicity, but a mini-her? You’ve got to admit that’s adorable.” He grins and, as perturbed as she still is, Felicity can’t deny that his words make her stomach swoop. _Annoying, charming vigilante._

“There’s no guarantee a girl will look like me.” She counters and Oliver pouts, turning to look at her with sad, imploring eyes.

“Well no but…”

“You can just say you’d like a girl, man, it’s okay. Girls are great.” John snorts, drawing their attention back to him and Felicity chuckles.

“You might be a little biased.” She reminds him with a smile but he just shrugs, nodding his head.

“Maybe. Speaking of, Sara is asking about when she can hang out with her aunt and uncle again.” John tells them, moving from the fridge to settle at a seat at the table. Oliver and Felicity follow, although Felicity pulls herself up to sit on the table itself.

“She is?” Oliver questions with a very tender smile, not unlike the expression he tends to wear around the little munchkin in question.

“Yes. She’s missed you both.” John tells them with a smile, nodding at Oliver.

“Aww, I missed her too.” Felicity grins, thinking of the little angel and just how sweet she is.

“Assuming no Darhk issues arise, dinner at ours on Friday?” John poses and he does it so casually, as if nothing has been the issue between them at all. It’s very John and Felicity knows that Oliver will make nothing of it either so she’s content to let her heart feel as light as it does, sinking into a room filled with love instead of tension once more.

“We’ll work it out even if there are Darhk issues,” Oliver promises and John nods.

“Family dinners are important.”

“Family?” Oliver asks, his eyebrows rising in surprise and Felicity smiles warmly as John merely smiles back.

“Family.” He states simply and Oliver takes a deep breath. He doesn’t say it, but Felicity can see from his expression how relieved he is. “Now tell me if you’ve been thinking about names.”

“Oh no, you’ll start an argument, John!” Felicity calls out, looking between John and Oliver in shock horror. Names have been a point of contention between her and Oliver for a while; they’ve agreed not to say their favorites just yet but neither of them are liking what the other is putting forward.

“What’s this now?” John questions, looking between the two of them with an amused expression on his face.

“He’s vetoing all my ideas.”

“As if you’re not doing the same!” Oliver counters, defending himself starkly, and Felicity grins for a moment before sticking her tongue out at him. Both Oliver and John laugh at her childish behavior, shaking their heads in a scarily similar fashion.

“Alright, alright, tell me your favorite for a boy and a girl. Felicity, first.” John states, ever the diplomat, and Felicity takes a deep breath before she speaks, reminding herself of why she’s picked these two.

“For a boy, I like Lucas. For a girl, I like Mia.” She states with a nod and chances a look at Oliver to see him looking at her tenderly. Her expression softens too and they smile, reaching out to entwine their hands.

“Okay, and Oliver?” John prompts, but neither Felicity or Oliver look back to him.

“For a boy, Tommy, obviously, and for a girl, Megan.” Oliver offers almost shyly, making Felicity smile and squeeze his hand in support. Tommy, she’d been expecting but Megan… that is not what she thought he might say.

“Those girl names sound like they should be coming from the other person.” John comments with a laugh and Felicity smiles at him before she looks back to Oliver with a shrug of her shoulders.

“I know how much you miss your mother.” She explains, watching as his face melts and he tilts his head.

“And I know that you and her never really got on.” He counters and Felicity shrugs. It’s why she didn’t pick Moira’s name outright, but Mia is a nice compromise and it’s really pretty. She’s a big fan.

“I’ve never really been a fan of my middle name.” She admits and Oliver’s brow furrows. He looks almost offended at the prospect and it’s altogether too adorable.

“Really? I think it’s beautiful.” He tells her and Felicity chuckles with a shrug, looking back to John when he clears his throat.

“Okay, what about boys?” He asks but Felicity knows it isn’t really a question. She’s known what they’ll be naming their son since she saw the positive sign on the pregnancy test.

“Tommy.” She states simply, watching as Oliver looks at her in tender surprise.

“Really?” He questions, clearly wanting to make sure that she’s sure but she just smiles with a nod.

“I know how much it means to you. Thomas Lucas?” She poses, gasping at just how much she likes the sound of it as she speaks it aloud for the first time.

_Thomas Lucas Queen._

That sounds like _their_ baby.

“That’s perfect,” Oliver tells her with a wide smile and Felicity sighs, their eyes meeting for another long moment as the weight of this decision passes between them.

It’s things like this that make this feel real and Felicity loves how much closer it makes her feel to both Oliver and their baby.

“Now you’ve just got to decide on a girl’s name.” John counters and they all chuckle.

“We’ll find out at the next appointment. We can put it off until then and maybe we won’t have to.” Felicity tries, raising an eyebrow and Oliver snorts with an affectionate shake of his head.

“Speaking of putting things off, not to conversation swerve, but what’re the chances of Double Down telling Darhk about Lair 2.0?” John poses, slamming the brakes on their tender moment as the reality of the situation comes crashing down.

“Enough to start thinking about Lair 3.0.” Felicity comments with a serious nod and John hums in agreement.

“I might already have a plan in regard to that,” Oliver speaks up, speaking directly to John seeing as Felicity is already aware of it.

“I thought we weren’t doing secrets anymore.” John questions but his tone is far more intrigued than annoyed.

“It’s not a secret, it’s a surprise,” Oliver states with a smirk, earning a curious raised eyebrow from John in retaliation.

As Felicity watches the man she loves and the man she considers her brother share an affectionate smile, she rubs her hand over her rounding belly and smiles. With the three of them finally back on the right track, she knows that no matter what, everything’s going to be okay.


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team Arrow gets a new bunker, some old friends resurface, and an argument brings Oliver and Felicity closer together in the end.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to Abby, Lexi, and Mandy who have cheerleaded me through this chapter, it was giving me some major issues but I got there in the end! 
> 
> This chapter takes some dialogue from 4x06 so that is obviously not mine :) 
> 
> I really hope you enjoy, please let me know by leaving a kudos and/or comment if you do. They make my day <3 
> 
> I hope that you and yours are safe, healthy, and doing generally okay <3

Oliver smiles proudly as he looks around the now completed bunker. It’s impressive how quickly they’ve managed to pull it together and Oliver is really happy with it, he’s excited to share it with the next of the team.

Felicity lets out a squeal and Oliver turns to smile at her. She looks so cute, stood in the middle of the raised platform where they’ve placed her computers. She’s dressed today in a black and white striped top and a black skirt that is tight enough that her bump is clearly visible. She’s officially fifteen weeks pregnant and her bump is clearly discernable as a pregnancy bump now, rather than being able to pass it off as a big lunch. Oliver has learned to carry fruit around with him because it turns out Felicity can get hungry very quickly and will get _very_ pouty if she’s not fed quickly. The pears and apples he’s taken to placing in her bags and around all their frequent locations have come in handy a lot.

“This place is _so_ cool. It’s like a real superhero bunker! It even has a PA system! _This is your overlord, Felicity Smoak, speaking.”_ She bounces over to her desk, speaking into the mic and her voice reverberates around the bunker.

“Maybe we shouldn’t have put the mic for that on your desk.” Oliver chuckles as he makes his way up the steps to join her. Felicity whirls to look at him then, her lips forming into a pout that makes Oliver sigh.

“But it’s so much fun. Would you begrudge your pregnant girlfriend some fun, Mr. Queen?” She questions, still pouting as she sidles up to him and wraps both her hands around his arm. It’s her classic ‘I’m adorable, don’t be mad at me’ face and Oliver falls for it hook, line, and sinker every damn time.

“You’re cute.” He tells her with an affectionate roll of her eyes but she merely grins, rising up onto her toes to peck him on the cheek.

“Thank you very much,” Felicity states cutely and Oliver chuckles, drawing her close with a hand on her cheek to kiss her properly.

“Can you believe we did this?” He questions as they pull away, looking at her with a soft smile.

“This or _this?”_ Felicity jokes, rubbing a hand over her baby bump and Oliver laughs.

“Both.”

“Well, every hero in the light needs a good base.” Felicity grins up at him and Oliver softens at the clear pride in her eyes. Her belief in him is so wonderful and something he doesn’t want to ever take for granted. He’s so lucky to have her by his side, supporting him through everything.

“Cisco really outdid himself,” Oliver comments as he looks around, still amazed at how good the place looks.

“Was that a _compliment_?” Felicity questions with a gasp, smirking at him innocently when Oliver turns to narrow his eyes at her.

“Shh, you.” He grins, reaching out to poke her in the side, eliciting a squeal from her.

Her phone sounds off and she rushes to grab it, smiling up at Oliver softly once she’s read the message. “It’s John. He, Thea, and Laurel are upstairs.”

“You ready?” Oliver questions, holding out his hand and Felicity grins as she skips over to grab it.

“Are you?” She retaliates with a raised eyebrow and Oliver takes a deep breath, nodding his head.

“No time like the present.”

They leave through the garage entrance so as to not ruin the surprise and enter the office to see John, Laurel, and Thea all frowning confusedly as to why they’re stood in an old beat-up campaign office.

Thea immediately rounds on them when she spots them, her usual impatient nature shining through. “Ollie, what is this big announcement? Oh my god, did you…?”

“Speedy! We’ll get there!” Oliver interrupts quickly when he sees her eyes dart down to his and Felicity’s enjoined hands in excitement. The last thing Oliver needs is his baby sister ruining his proposal plans, which are still very much in place just as soon as things start to settle down slightly.

“ _Sorry!”_ Thea mouths with a sheepish expression as Oliver leads Felicity to the top of the room and Oliver levels his sister with a look, effectively silencing her.

“Do you remember this office?” Oliver asks, looking between the three of them and being grateful for Felicity’s hand in his as the nerves rise in him.

“Sebastian Blood’s campaign office,” Laurel answers, looking around the place with a shudder as she crosses her arms over her chest.

“Exactly, and now it’s mine,” Oliver states simply, watching as it registers with his teammates and shock covers their faces. He’s glad that Felicity squeezes his hand in support as Laurel frowns and John and Thea stare at him blankly.

“What?”

“Everyone who’s qualified is afraid to run, for obvious reasons, but I can protect myself,” Oliver explains through a long sigh, swallowing thickly. He didn’t expect them to be ecstatic, but he thought they might be slightly happier for him.

“But… you’re not a politician.” John points out and Oliver nods his head in agreement.

“Maybe that’s a good thing.” Oliver counters, shrugging his shoulders, relaxing a little when John shrugs too with a nod of his head.

“But you know nothing about being mayor,” Laurel tells him and Oliver takes another long breath.

“I’m a quick study when I want to be.” He replies though it doesn’t seem to change her opinion as she shifts on her feet in what looks to be an agitated mood.

“How are you going to fund it?” Thea asks and Oliver smirks, glancing over at Felicity.

“Billionaire girlfriends help with that.” He answers, looking down to hide his smile as Felicity waves cutely.

“And your board is okay with that?” Laurel presses, raising an eyebrow as she stares at Felicity dubiously.

“Palmer Tech has only funded a small amount of it. A lot of it has come out of Oliver’s own savings.” Felicity explains softly, running her free hand up Oliver’s lower arm soothingly.

“You had savings?” Thea asks, turning to look at Oliver in bafflement, and Oliver chuckles.

“I know I wasn’t the most responsible but I followed Mom and Dad’s advice some of the time, Speedy.” He tells her, gaining a relenting tilt of the head and an impressed look from his baby sister.

“Well, I think it’s a wonderful idea. Oliver has some really good ideas to bring the city back to life and it would be nice if you, as his friends could support him.” Felicity steps up and Oliver hides his smirk at the way she narrows her eyes threateningly at their friends as she comes to the end. As he said, her support is totally invaluable.

“Sorry man. Congratulations.” John coughs, smiling and Oliver nods with a smile of his own.

“Doesn’t she kind of have to say that?” Laurel questions to Thea, gesturing to Felicity, but the younger girl just rolls her eyes, turning to smile at Oliver.

“Congratulations Ollie.” She tells him and Oliver smiles with a small nod.

“Thank you, John, Speedy. Laurel, hopefully, this next announcement goes over better.” Oliver states simply, taking a deep breath and leading Felicity over to the secret entrance to the elevator. The others follow curiously and Oliver finds himself smiling as there’s a chorus of shocked noises in response to him revealing the elevator.

“Wait, oh my god, this is so cool!” Thea bounces excitedly inside, the rest of the following after.

“Blood had a lair of his own,” Felicity responds in an excited voice of her own, but her words just gain her a concerned look from Laurel. “Oh don’t worry, I burned a _lot_ of incense.”

The elevator opens up and the five of them step up into the shiny new layer. Oliver’s pride rises as John, Laurel, and Thea all gasp in amazement, stepping out to start exploring.

“Oh my god, this place is amazing!” Thea grins as she rushes off to start looking at everything and Oliver chuckles as he briefly notes that she looks like when he used to let her run free in the candy aisle.

“How did you do this all by yourself?” Laurel questions, turning to look at him with a slightly impressed expression on her face.

“We had help. Cisco and STAR Labs for one.” Felicity explains as she climbs up the steps to her computers.

“Felicity for another.” Oliver fills in, smiling at Laurel before he goes to follow his girlfriend.

“This is incredible.” John sighs happily as he steps up to join them and Oliver smiles warmly at his brother.

“Well when I set up shop in the Foundry, it was just me. That’s not the case anymore.” He answers simply, shrugging his shoulders and looking out over the team across the bunker with a smile. He knows if you told the man he was three years ago anything about his life now, he’d probably have a fit, but Oliver finds himself very happy with his current state of affairs.

A loud beep from one of Felicity’s computers has Thea and Laurel joining them by the monitors.

“What was that?” Laurel questions and Felicity frowns, sliding into her chair and attempting to wheel herself over to the computer. She stumbles slightly and both Oliver and John are on her like a shot, one of them either side of her to ensure she doesn’t fall.

“You okay?” Oliver asks with a frown and she smiles sheepishly up at them.

“Yeah, I’m just not used to this chair yet.” She replies and John chuckles affectionately, sharing an amused look with Oliver as they both stand up.

“What’s going on?” Oliver questions, following her over to the computer to make sure she doesn’t fall.

“Oh I’m transmitting all police radio and comms data through a tracking algorithm twenty-four seven so no matter what happens in the city, we will know about it,” Felicity explains to them all as she starts to type on her keyboard.

“And something’s happened?” Laurel questions with a deep frown.

And just like that, they’re settling into the new lair, ready to clean up the city, one criminal at a time.

* * *

The next week brings the _strangest_ of revelations.

Oliver’s seen a lot of weird things since the Gambit sank. He’s struggled and fought to become someone who’s aware of the world around him so that he cannot be hurt.

Laurel and Thea’s ‘spa weekend’ turning out to be a front for a trip to Nanda Parbat in which they resurrected Sara in the pit is, therefore, something that throws him massively. The fact that she has somehow lost her soul and they have to get it back?

Yeah, he feels very much out of his comfort zone.

He’s just glad that he knows how to get John Constantine here to call in his favor because else, they’d be stuck with a soulless, murderous Sara.

His trip into Sara’s mind is certainly that… a trip and Oliver finds himself stumbling to reach for Felicity as he reappears back in the bunker. The feeling of her arms sliding around him to stabilize him ground him and help pull him back into the real world. He presses a kiss against her temple as he holds her tight, unable to shake the odd feeling that spreads through him.

“Are you okay?” Felicity questions quietly, rubbing a comforting hand over his chest, and Oliver takes a deep breath with a frown.

“Yeah, that was… it was weird.” He blinks, managing a small smile as he looks down at her.

“I bet.” She answers with a wince, relaxing into his arms, and Oliver is grateful for it. He feels more normal as he holds her, the two of them watching Sara reunite with her family.

“Ollie.” The blonde smiles as she approaches them when she’s done, smiling tentatively.

“Hi, Sara,” Oliver replies, smiling warmly at her. Despite his annoyance at Laurel for doing this in the first place and doubly for doing it behind his back, he can’t deny that he’s happy that Sara is back. Losing her again was a big hit and seeing her in front of him again is so wonderful.

“I see I’ve got a lot to catch up on,” Sara comments with a smile, gesturing to how Oliver and Felicity are wrapped tightly around each other.

“You could say that,” Oliver smirks, unable to resist turning his head to press a kiss to the top of Felicity’s head. It’s odd to think that the last Sara knew of them was the mess they were in fall last year, they’ve come so far since then.

“Hey, you,” Sara smirks as she turns to look at Felicity and Felicity grins, stepping forward. She opens her arms in offering and Sara grins, stepping up to her and wrapping her in a tight hug.

“Hi, I’m very happy you’re back.” Felicity grins, the two of them swaying slightly and Oliver smiles at the sight. He knows that Sara’s death was equally hard on Felicity, the two of them were so close.

“Me too, though I wasn’t really aware of being away.” Sara chuckles as she pulls away, holding Felicity’s hands as she looks down at her rounded stomach. “So… a baby?”

“Oh, is this not just the result of me eating Oliver’s cooking every day?” Felicity quips, turning to grin back at Oliver when he chuckles.

Sara, however, looks at Oliver in amused surprise. “You cook?”

“I dabble.” Oliver shrugs, smirking when Felicity gasps, stepping back to him and rubbing her hand over his stomach.

“He’s incredible and extremely too modest. We’ll have to have you over soon.” Felicity narrows her eyes at Oliver before she turns to smile at Sara. “And yes, a baby.”

“Congratulations, guys. Glad to see you finally got it together, Ollie, and saw what was right in front of you.” Sara smirks, winking, and Felicity giggles when Oliver frowns.

“Who says it was just me?” He questions with a frown, making everyone in the bunker laugh.

“All of us.” The chorus echoes from across the room and Oliver pouts momentarily as his brow furrows deeper.

“You’re cute.” Felicity giggles, rising onto her toes to press a kiss to his cheek.

“Sara, you should rest.” Laurel points out, smiling at her sister, and Oliver frowns for a completely different reason.

“Laurel, we need to talk.” He finds himself saying and the lawyer frowns as she turns to look at him.

“Can it wait?” She questions, gesturing to Sara but he shakes his head.

“I’d rather not.”

Laurel stares at him before a moment before she heaves a long sigh and turns to look at Sara. “Fine, I’ll catch up. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Come on, baby girl. Let’s get you home.” Quentin smiles as he wraps an arm around Sara and leads her out of the bunker.

Laurel quirks her eyebrow at him in prompt but Oliver merely untangles himself from Felicity with a kiss to her forehead, before he leads Laurel into one of the side rooms.

“You can’t ever do something like that again.” He states simply as he turns around to look at her.

“Oh I’m sorry, I didn’t realize you were my father.” Laurel snorts, crossing her arms over her chest with a frown.

“Laurel, you put Thea at risk, you put yourself at risk, and most importantly, you put Sara at risk,” Oliver explains, keeping his voice level and Laurel frowns.

“But she’s fine. We got her soul back.” Laurel counters, gesturing back to the main room and Oliver heaves a long sigh.

“We still don’t know whether she’s going to have the same issues Thea has had with the bloodlust. It was a major risk and you should’ve consulted someone.” Oliver tries to explain to her, baffled as to how she’s not getting it.

“I did. Thea.”

“Thea’s not exactly an impartial judge on this matter.”

“Oh, and you are? Or need I remind you whose idea it was to put Thea in the pit?” Laurel’s voice gets louder as she gets increasingly defensive, making Oliver frown. He feels his own anger rise at her accusation, he has no idea how she can see this as the same thing in the slightest.

“She was less than a day dead, Laurel! Sara’s been dead for over a year!”

“And she’s _fine._ Now I have my sister back and everything’s going to be okay.”

“And if she’s suffering like Thea is in a month or two? How will you feel then? Because let me tell you, Laurel, the guilt the eats me up over what Thea is going through is painful. Knowing that I did that to her…”

Oliver frowns, baffled as he tries to understand Laurel’s logic. He knows that losing a sibling is awful and he would never wish it on anyone, but that doesn’t mean Laurel gets to just use the pit like this.

What’s odder, however, is Laurel’s immediate defensive reaction to him. He knows that they’ve always brought out the worst in each other, they’ve always argued easily, but since he and Felicity returned from Ivy Town at her and Thea’s request, it seems to have only gotten worse.

“God, you just think you know everything, don’t you? Oliver, you were gone for _months._ Me, John, and Thea figured out a way to make this work. You do _not_ just get to swan in here, create a new swanky bunker and pretend that everything’s okay.”

Laurel retaliates, narrowing her eyes at Oliver seriously, and Oliver frowns, knowing that he can’t put off his following question any longer.

“Laurel, what have I done to you specifically? I know why John was mad, I know Thea was sad because of me leaving, but I have done nothing to you and yet you act like I’ve committed some great sin.” He asks with a sigh, looking at Laurel with a confused frown.

“Because you think you know better than the rest of us. What we’ve been doing the past months was working _fine,_ and then swan back in here and act like we need to change everything and take charge like you never left. You’re not better than the rest of us, Oliver.”

Her response throws Oliver off completely. He had _no_ idea that it was how Laurel was feeling. Whilst he’s confused at her interpretation, it also angers him considering the fact that it was her suggestion he and Felicity come back. He was perfectly happy to remain in Ivy Town.

“No, I’m not. But _you’re_ the one who showed up at my door months ago, begging for me to come back and help. You asked for me to be here, Laurel. If you were doing so well beforehand, I don’t see why that would’ve been necessary. I don’t think I’m better than anybody but there’s no denying my experience trumps yours a thousand times over. I’m not trying to act like nothing ever happened but sometimes a team like this needs someone to take charge. But you clearly think you know best for everybody, including me _and_ your sister, so I don’t know what else to tell you.”

It’s harsh but as he explains himself, he finds that he means every word. He cannot believe she had the nerve to spout that _crap_ at him. He was perfectly happy living in Ivy Town with Felicity and their baby would be so much safer there. But they’re here because she asked them to be. After all, she wanted their help, so for her to sit on her high horse and act all sanctimonious is extremely irritating.

“Bringing Sara back was a calculated risk,” Laurel states bitterly after a long sigh as she stares Oliver down but he’s had enough. He’s said his piece and let her know how he feels, it’s clear she’s not willing to properly talk it out with him now, so there’s no point in going in circles when he could take his girlfriend home.

“No. It was a risk and you got lucky that I knew the right person who could help.” Oliver counters simply before he turns and leaves the side room, heading back up the steps to where Felicity, John, and Thea have finished clearing up the evidence from Constantine’s spell.

“You okay?” Felicity questions as he approaches her and Oliver sighs, nodding his head.

“I’m fine. Can we go home?” He questions and Felicity frowns, nodding her head.

“Um sure, just let me…” She goes to reach for her phone just as a loud beeping emits from it that catches John and Thea’s attention.

“What is that?” Thea asks, looking up at them with a frown but Felicity just smiles at her.

“My phone. It’s fritzing. I can look at it at home, let’s go.” Felicity waves her away, offering her hand to Oliver for him to take.

“Bye guys,” Oliver tells his brother and sister as they head towards the elevator.

“Bye!”

They’re both quiet as they make their way home but Oliver sighs as he sinks into the comfortable fabric of the couch.

“Are you okay?” Felicity questions as she slips her heeled boots off and removes her jacket.

“I think so? I don’t know. It’s been a crazy few weeks.” Oliver groans, honestly not even knowing how he feels right now. There’s a _lot_ going around in his head and trying to make sense of it just makes his head spin even more.

“Tell me about it. I am _exhausted.”_ Felicity groans as she flops down on the couch next to him and Oliver chuckles, making a grabby hand towards her.

“C’mere.” He tells her, pointing to her feet with the other hand, and Felicity sighs as she swings her feet into his lap and he starts to massage them.

“Hmm, you’re heaven sent.” Felicity groans as he starts to properly work his thumbs into the bottom of her feet.

“Not sure about that one.” Oliver chuckles, laughing when Felicity lazily reaches out to poke him in the side.

“You are to me. I love you.” Felicity smiles softly, turning her hand over and reaching up to smooth her hand over his cheek.

“I love you too.” Oliver smiles, turning to press a kiss to her hand as he continues to rub her feet. He slows after a while and Felicity tucks her feet back underneath her before sliding along the couch closer to him.

“Can you believe we live in a world where our friends just come back from the dead over a year after they died? And I thought knowing a vigilante was strange three years ago.” She questions as she sidles underneath his arm and Oliver sighs, nodding his head as he softly rubs his hand over her back.

“It keeps on surprising us. I hate surprises.” Oliver comments quietly, swallowing thickly.

“Well, there goes my plans for your surprise party next year.” Felicity quips, looking up at him with a smirk. He chuckles softly before taking a deep breath and shaking his head.

“I’m serious. It scares me to know that we’re bringing a life into this world when even we don’t know what’s out there or what’s going to happen next.” Oliver sighs, curling his arm around her so that his fingers graze over the hard bump of their baby.

Felicity shakes her head, untangling herself from his arm. Oliver frowns at her but she shakes her head, kneeling next to him on the couch and taking his hands in hers. She levels him with a reassuring smile, squeezing his hands. “Oliver, no new parents know those things. Sure it’s not on the level of ex-girlfriends appearing from the grave or criminals who can literally perform magic, but this is always new and scary. You and me, we’re doing fine, and we’re going to do fine for our baby as well.”

Oliver knows deep down that she’s right. These jitters are nothing new for a new parent but it’s also not as if their lives aren’t more dangerous than the average new parent. They have other things to consider considering the life they lead.

“I don’t want to be just fine as a parent, Felicity.” Oliver frowns at her words, shaking his head, and Felicity sighs, squeezing his hands.

“That’s not what I meant. What I meant is… is there anything the two of us haven’t been able to handle so long as we stick together?” She questions, smiling at him with that usual believing sparkle in her eye, and Oliver finds himself smiling too.

“Well no.” He answers with a small frown and Felicity chuckles, leveling him with a look before she smiles again.

“Exactly. So as long as you and I are good, then we’ll all be good. Okay?” Felicity smirks, poking him in the chest, and Oliver pretends like it hurt before he smiles at her, nodding his head.

“Okay.”

Felicity’s phone sounds off loudly and she sends him an apologetic smile as she stretches to look at the lit-up screen.

“That is Curtis.” She sighs as she looks back towards him with a frown.

“Again? He’s been calling you all day.” Oliver questions, confused as to why her employee has been trying so hard to get into contact with her.

“Yeah, so you know my phone’s been playing up?” Felicity questions, spinning to slide her feet out from underneath her.

“It keeps transmitting something, right?” Oliver questions slowly, not sure he’s using the right word. Felicity’s brow furrows for a moment before she turns to grin at him with soft eyes.

“That’s adorable. But yes, I was getting a message. I managed to unscramble it slightly before everything with Sara blew up and it turns out, it’s from Ray.” Felicity states simply and Oliver freezes.

“Ray as in blew up in the explosion of Palmer Tech last year, Ray?” He asks, blinking at the idea. It shouldn’t surprise him after what they just witnessed, but good lord, there certainly seems to be a lot of supernatural happenings around Star City at the moment.

“Yes. We think he recorded a message just before he died. Curtis is in the process of unscrambling the rest of it as we speak.” Felicity questions and Oliver can tell that she’s trying to keep her voice level. Her phone sounds off again before he can ask her if she’s okay. “…and that is him telling me that he’s done.”

“Are you going to be okay? Do you want me to come with you?” Oliver questions as she stands from the couch, looking up at her softly. He knows that losing Ray was extremely hard on her and he doesn’t want her to be alone when she hears his final words.

“I’ll be fine so long as you’re right here when I get back.” Felicity smiles gently down at him, grasping his chin as she pulls him in for a kiss. Oliver hums into it, breathing her in like she’s the oxygen he needs to breathe. He cannot get enough of her.

“I will even have dinner ready.” He tells her with a soft smile as she pulls away and heads for the door.

“Heaven sent. I love you.” She calls as she tugs on her shoes and heads out.

“I love you too.” Oliver manages to call just before the door shuts behind her.

* * *

Oliver is seriously worried about Felicity.

When she got home on Monday night, she fell asleep pretty much on the spot in his arms without telling him what happened with the message from Ray. He’d accepted it then, knowing that it had been a tough few days for them all and with the pregnancy on top of all of that, he knows she had to be exhausted. But then yesterday she was gone to work by the time Oliver got back from his run, leaving just a note on her side of the bed, and she cited needing to stay at the office when she didn’t come home last night. Oliver doesn’t want to push her, knowing that her work and whatever’s going on with Ray is important to her, but he’s worried about her and the baby if she’s not sleeping.

And when she misses the budget meeting with Alex at the campaign office, he knows that something’s seriously up. She’s never one to forget a commitment.

He finds her in the lab at Palmer Tech, bent over the computer, and typing like a maniac. Her hair is in total disarray, barely resembling a ponytail anymore and she’s surrounded by mountains of junk food, as well as the containers from the takeout that Oliver had delivered to the office last night. It’s a clear sign that she’s deep in a hacking hole and the fact that she’s not even looking up from her computer as she speaks to who Oliver assumes is Curtis is a further indication that there’s something serious going on.

“Ah perfect! Oliver Queen, Curtis Holt. Curtis, Oliver.” Felicity greets, barely looking up from her computer when the noise of him at the door alerts her of his presence. Oliver frowns for a moment before he turns to the tall man behind the desk with a smile.

“Curtis! Felicity’s told me a lot about you.” Oliver greets happily, shaking the man’s hand. He knows that the man in front of him is a godsend to Felicity, she’s lamented not knowing what she would do without him a few times.

“She’s told me virtually nothing about you,” Curtis answers strangely but Oliver just smiles. It’s not as if it’s any stranger than some of the things Felicity has come out with in the three years that he’s known her.

“Okay.” Oliver ends diplomatically, but he frowns when the employee starts holding his hand up in front of Oliver’s face. “What’cha doing?”

“Green Arrow showed up right around the time that you got back to town,” Curtis answers, making Oliver freeze and even Felicity looks up from her computer with a red vine sticking out of her mouth. “Can’t be you though, jaw’s not right.”

“As I keep telling everyone.” Oliver relaxes with a sigh. Curtis seems lovely but he also doesn’t seem like he’d be particularly great at keeping a secret like that. He sighs as he looks over at Felicity who has buried her head in the computer once more and the red vine that was in her mouth has disappeared, leaving the packet next to her now completely empty. “Curtis, can you give us a minute?”

“I was just on my way out.” The tall man nods, smiling at Oliver before he leaves the office.

Oliver takes a deep breath and slowly approaches the desk, knowing not to startle Felicity when she’s in a state like this. “Hi, you. I thought you were going to come by the campaign office to go over finances?”

“That meeting’s on Wednesday,” Felicity comments as she continues to type, barely paying him any attention.

“It is Wednesday,” Oliver tells her with a frown, and that finally has her freezing as she looks up at him.

“Oh.”

“Felicity…” Oliver sighs, resisting the urge to scoop her up and take her home right here and now. It’s only for fear of being on the receiving end of her loud voice that stops him. “What’s going on?”

Felicity sighs, not answering but instead typing a few things and gesturing to the screen as Ray’s voice rings out loud and clear. “ _I’m alive, and I’m in trouble.”_

So, it _is_ another Sara situation.

“That’s what the message said?” Oliver questions, shaking his head in bafflement. How is Ray alive? Was he never really killed?

“Uh-huh, and this message was sent six days ago.”

“But he was killed six months ago.”

“Ergo, Ray’s not dead. Dead people don’t send messages to their exes phones.”

“He’s alive?” Oliver questions to confirm and Felicity sighs but nods her head.

“He’s alive. And _I_ need to backtrace the message so that I can…” She starts but Oliver frowns, watching the way she shifts uncomfortably on the stool. God, they really should look into getting her a more ergonomic chair for in here, or he should talk to Curtis about getting her a proper set up in her office where there already is one. With the baby, her sitting on a stool for as long as she probably has is not okay.

“Felicity, how long have you been at this?” Oliver interrupts and Felicity frowns, looking up from the computer once more with a small pout on her face.

“It’s what ten pm on Wednesday?” She questions and Oliver takes a deep breath, trying to not freak out at how she doesn’t even know that basic information.

“Yes.”

“About thirty… forty hours.” She answers his initial question with a wince and Oliver sighs.

“Felicity.” He states simply but the admonishment is clear in his tone and Felicity clearly hears it too because she throws her hands up.

“Ray needs my help!” She exclaims with a huff and Oliver forces himself to level his breathing, knowing that getting angry at her isn’t going to help anything.

But good lord is she frustrating when she doesn’t think of her own health.

“I know, but you need to look after yourself too.” Oliver reminds her softly, but that attempt is just met with a glare.

“I’m _fine.”_ Felicity bites bitterly and Oliver sighs, swallowing thickly.

“And it’s not just you you’re looking after.” He presses, trying to not wince as he thinks about how her lack of sleep and proper nutrition might affect the baby.

That just gets him leveled with a severely unimpressed look, a scoff, and a roll of her eyes. “Oh yes, thank you for your insight, I _had_ forgotten I was pregnant.”

“That’s not what I…” Oliver starts but when Felicity looks back to her computer, he sighs. It’s clear that trying to reason with her isn’t going to work. He loops an arm under her armpit, trying to coerce her towards the door gently. “You need a shower and at least a nap.”

“But I…” She starts, her hands gripping tightly to the desk as she looks up at Oliver with a pout.

“No. C’mon.” He insists, forcing himself to remain impartial to her pout even as his brain tells him to give in to that adorableness.

“I can’t just…”

“Can you do this from home once you’ve rested?” Oliver questions plainly and Felicity glances back to the monitor with a frown before she sighs.

“Yes, but…” She starts but Oliver knows not to give her an inch as he gently urges her to her feet and towards the door.

“Then, let’s go.”

He can feel Felicity’s agitation rolling off of her as they ride back to the apartment but she doesn’t say anything until they’re coming through the door.

“I tell you Ray’s alive and your first response is ‘you need a shower’?” She questions with a deep frown, turning back to look at him as if he’s grown two heads. Oliver takes a deep breath, shaking his head, forcing himself to remember that her lashing out like this is always just a response to the lack of sleep and she’ll see his logic more clearly once she’s rested.

“And a nap. Felicity, you need to think of yourself and the baby and you’re no good to Ray in…” He tries to level with her but Felicity just huffs, throwing her arms up as she toes off her heels and heads over to sit on the arm of the couch.

“Stop. You sound like Curtis.” She states bitterly and Oliver chuckles.

“Who is a smart man. I’m just worried about you, honey. I know how you get when you get in a hacking hole and you need to look after yourself.” He explains calmly, following her but stopping a few feet away. He’s also learned that she’ll ask for affection if she wants it when she’s like this but it is not always what she wants. “Is there anything I can do to help?”

“Have you magically learned to code in the past seventy-two hours?” Felicity replies, blinking up at him with that adorable pout again. Oliver can tell that she’s starting to soften by the way her shoulders are slumping and he’s grateful for it, hopefully, it means he can get her into bed for a nap soon.

“No.”

“That was a rhetorical question.”

“I know.”

He persists, staring her down with a soft expression and finally, she reaches towards him with grabby fingers. He offers her his hand and she spins, tugging his hand up to her shoulder as she groans. “I will, however, accept your undying support and a backrub.”

“Well you always have the first and you can have the second as soon as you…”

“Shower?” Felicity finishes for him, tilting her head back to pout up at him and Oliver chuckles.

“And take a nap.” He whispers, bending to kiss her forehead before he urges her up and towards the stairs. “C’mon… c’mon, c’mon.”

Just as they almost reach them, the phone in Felicity’s hand sounds off again and she freezes as she looks down at it.

“What?”

“I set an alert just in case the backtrace algorithm ever finished compiling.” She states excitedly, energy back in her voice all of a sudden.

“Felicity…” Oliver groans as she rushes away from him, spinning for a second before she locates her laptop on the coffee table and rushes over in her bare feet.

“Two seconds! It has been taking forever…” She bemoans but freezes suddenly, leaning back from the screen. Oliver frowns as he follows her, bending down next to her to see the screen almost fritzing.

“What are you doing?” He questions but Felicity just shakes her head confusedly.

“Absolutely nothing.”

“Felicity? Felicity, is that you?”

All of a sudden, Ray’s face appears on the screen and both Felicity and Oliver’s mouths drop open in shock. It’s one thing to hear his voice through a message but to see him on the screen is something else entirely.

He really _is_ alive.

“Oh my god, Ray!”

“Ray, where are you?” Oliver asks with a frown, not being able to see anything other than glass walls around the ex-CEO.

“I… I don’t know. If that wasn’t enough, I’m being held against my will. They want my suit, or at least the tech. The good news is that it’s useless to them in my current condition.” Ray explains quickly, not beating around the bush, and Oliver frowns at his words, trying to unpick what he’s saying.

“Ray, if you have the suit, why don’t you just blast your way out?” He questions as they register, remembering the abilities that the man’s suit possessed.

“Yeah, that’s not happening,” Ray answers with a sigh, glancing sideways with a frown.

“What? The suit doesn’t work?” Felicity presses, squinting as she clearly tries to look for any distinct features too.

“It actually worked a little too well. The miniaturization feature I was working on? I managed to work out the kinks in the programming.” Ray tells them and Oliver glances at Felicity as he wonders whether he heard that right.

“Ray, are you telling us that you’re…?” He questions, trailing off as he struggles to work out how that would even be possible. Well, science, he supposes is the answer to that, but he doesn’t know how to explain it.

“Let’s just say I went from almost 6ft 4 to just the 4. If that.” Ray finishes for him with a frown and Oliver nods, swallowing thickly as he blinks.

Good lord, it’s been a strange few weeks.

“We’re going to figure out a way to get you out of there and get you big again, okay?” Oliver tells Ray confidently, though he’s not entirely sure how they’re going to make that possible.

Ray, however, already has an answer for that. “About that. At Palmer Tech, there’s the schematics for a device that should be able to resize me, it just needs to be built.”

The connection starts to fade and Felicity calls out just before it disconnects. “I’m on it. Hang in there, okay?”

The screen goes black and Oliver barely has time to process what just happened as Felicity rises from the floor and rushes back towards the door.

“Felicity, where are you going?” He questions as he too stands, turning to look at her with a frown.

“Didn’t you hear Ray? Palmer Tech.” She tells him simply as she pulls her shoes back on, making Oliver sigh.

“Felicity, what we just said still stands. You need to rest else you’re going to burn yourself out and that’s not good for you or the baby.” He explains to her softly but she just rounds on him.

“And how am I supposed to live with myself if I take a break and, in that time, whoever is holding Ray captive kills him?” She counters with tears prickling at her eyes. The sight makes Oliver’s heart clench and he quickly rushes across the room towards her.

“He’s been there for six months, Felicity. I highly doubt that’s going to happen.” He attempts to reassure her but she just shakes her head.

“We don’t know that! The best thing I can do is work as hard as I can to get this done as fast as I can.” Felicity answers simply and then turns towards the door and is gone.

“Felicity!”

…and he’s back to square one. Great.

His phone suddenly buzzes with a text and his eyes widen at what he sees, having completely forgotten about his surprise for Felicity. He doesn’t think she’s going to be receptive at the minute but it’s not exactly like he can turn Donna away.

* * *

“So what you’re saying is that the piece of equipment we need to get this to work is under 16 patents at our biggest competitor’s warehouse?”

Felicity sighs where she’s stood in front of Ray’s schematics, looking at Curtis with a tired expression. The work of the past few days is starting to weigh on her and she would _kill_ for a coffee, but that’s obviously not possible.

Half of her annoyance at Oliver came from the fact that she knows he’s right. She shouldn’t be straining herself like this, especially considering the baby, but the guilt of missing Ray’s messages and the realization of just how far in deep she’s fallen with Oliver mean that she simply _can’t_ listen to him right now.

“Pretty much sums it up,” Curtis answers with clenched teeth, and Felicity groans loudly, throwing her head back. “Hey good news, things can’t get any worse?”

Just as Curtis says that, a loud and excitable scream sounds from across the room. It’s high-pitched, full of energy, and pretty much the opposite to everything Felicity is feeling right now.

She recognizes the tone right away, her eyes widening as she realizes who it is, and looks around Curtis with a wince to indeed see her mother stood in the doorway, suitcase by her side. She’s dressed in a baby pink dress in her usual style, short and tight, with sky-high heels on her feet and Felicity frowns as she rounds the table.

“You just had to go and jinx it, didn’t you?” She hisses to her employee who looks entirely baffled as to what is going on.

“Oh my goodness, there’s my beautiful baby girl!” Donna squeals, throwing her arms in the air as Felicity approaches her and the young blonde feels dread seep into her bones. It’s so not that she’s not happy to see her mom, she has missed her something awful, it’s just that with everything going on right now, a personality like her mom’s being around can be incredibly grating. Plus, with her not being in on their secrets, it means they’re going to have to think doubly hard.

“Mom?” Felicity questions, still in disbelief that she’s actually stood in the lab. Donna grabs for her when she’s in reach, pulling her into her usual suffocating hug and swaying them back and forth. Felicity winces at her grip and releases a sigh of relief as they pull away. Donna still grips onto her arms, grinning excitedly at her, and Felicity forces her best smile, not wanting her mom to feel bad. “What are you doing here?”

“Well, I went to your office, Miss CEO, and your assistant said you’d be here, and here you are!” Donna squeals, reaching up to brush a hand over Felicity’s hair and Felicity takes a deep breath, forcing her sleep-deprived mind to have a little more patience.

“No, Mom, not _here_ here, Star City here.” Felicity clarifies and sighs in relief when recognition crosses her mother’s face.

“Oh! Well, Oliver told me that you’ve been working non-stop this past month, and with the baby and everything, we agreed that a visit from your mom is just what you need!” Donna squeals excitedly, gripping Felicity’s arms and shaking her a little as she bounces excitedly.

Felicity blinks as her mother’s words process. _Oliver_ did this?

“The two of you just decided that? You didn’t think to ask me about it?” Felicity questions with a frown, looking at her mother confusedly. The idea of the two of them going behind her back.

She’s a grown woman and she can look after herself.

“Well, aren’t you happy to see me?” Her mom asks, a soft pout covering her face and Felicity sighs as guilt wracks through her.

“Of course I am, Mom, I just… Curtis and I are in the middle of trying to build a very important piece of equipment.” She explains softly, her hands reaching up to fiddle with her mom’s long curls.

Felicity’s mention of her employee has her mother finally realizing that they’re not alone in the room and she smiles at Curtis, prompting him to step forward and extend his hand. “Curtis Holt. I work for your daughter, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

“Well, you too, young man.” Donna smiles flirtatiously in her usual way and it takes everything in Felicity to not tell her mother right there and then that he’s gay. She doesn’t have the time, however, as her mother turns back to her with an admonishing look. “Now, Felicity do you really think it’s smart to be working this late? That little munchkin in you, needs you to rest. Speaking of… Hi baby! I’m your Savta! I cannot want to meet you, we’re going to have so much fun!”

Felicity groans under her breath as her mom squats down in the middle of the lab, talking straight to her bump and grinning as she reaches out to caress it. A glance sideways to Curtis shows him to be watching them with amused surprise on his face and Felicity sighs, tugging on her mom’s arm to urge her back to her feet.

“Mom, I am pregnant, not dying. I will rest when this is done, I just need to finish this, it’s _very_ important. I will have a car take you back to the apartment so that you can rest after your flight.” She states decisively, not giving her mother a chance to argue as she turns her around and urges her back towards the door. She turns to look at Curtis, narrowing her eyes slightly. “You, start building, I will get you the manifold.”

“How are you going to do that? It’s propitiatory!” Curtis calls after her, confusion in his voice, and Felicity sighs.

“ _I’m_ not.” She hisses at him and understanding finally registers over his face.

“Awesome. The Green Arrow’s going to be kicking some ass tonight.” Curtis smirks, nodding his head as Felicity concentrates on pushing her mother through the door.

“Not if I kick his first.” She comments under her breath before she takes a deep breath and shakes her head.

God, this is really the last thing she needs right now.

* * *

“It’s not like I knew we were going to be dealing with something this week.” Oliver defends over his comm as he makes his way across the roof of the Kord Industries warehouse.

Felicity has not reacted well to Donna coming to town.

He knows that she’s stressed out and overtired but he really was just trying to do something nice for her and he’s a little confused as to how she can’t see that.

“We’re always dealing with something, it’s us!” Felicity counters, her voice even curter and quicker than usual.

“You know what your mother’s like, she’s very convincing,” Oliver tells her with a sigh but all that gains him is a scoff.

“You’ve faced down mirakuru soldiers and the entire League of Assassins, forgive me if I struggle to see how you couldn’t say no to my mom.” Felicity hums bitterly and Oliver can picture her frown and eyes rolling even without seeing her face.

“She told me she missed you and that she was worried that she wasn’t ever going to get to see you whilst you’re pregnant. Then she sent once of those emojis with a single tear. Like I said, convincing.” He sighs, shaking his head. It’s not like he particularly wanted to tell Donna no; he loves Felicity’s mom and he knows that underneath her bravado of complaining about her, Felicity really misses her.

“Okay, so you didn’t think to _tell_ me about any of this?” Felicity asks indignantly and Oliver sighs.

“It was supposed to be a nice surprise. I didn’t realize we’d be in the midst of something so important.” He tries to explain softly but Felicity just scoffs bitterly again and the sound shoots through Oliver like a dart.

“Well, we are. And now we have my _mother_ to juggle on top of all of this.” She counters and Oliver sighs, shaking his head. He really doesn’t understand what he’s done that’s so wrong but before he can ask or suggest they talk about it later, John’s voice sounds through the comms.

“Do you think we can find another time to argue about this?” He questions loudly and Oliver hears Felicity hiss as he shuts his eyes for a long moment.

“Oh, I’m sorry. I didn’t realize this was an open line.” Felicity frowns, effectively ending the conversation, and Oliver sighs, trying to concentrate on the mission and not how his heart is aching at the thought of not being able to help Felicity feel better.

Then the night just goes from bad to worse.

They get the manifold but Sara, who is _clearly_ not okay after her dip in the pit, takes out two guards and they have to rush out before anyone discovers the bodies. Laurel takes her sister home and Thea goes with them, but when Oliver and John get back to the bunker, it’s to discover Felicity somehow even more worked up than she was before.

Turns out, Ray contacted her again and just before the connection cut out, Felicity caught a glimpse of exactly who it is holding him hostage.

Damien Darhk.

Because of course.

Safe to say that Felicity’s panic has just about doubled and the three of them settle at the table to try and figure out what to do. John and Oliver agree that the best thing to do is contact Lance and have him use his position as an insider with Darhk to try and find out where Ray might be.

“We get the manifold to Curtis, we get him to start working, and we wait for Lance to get us the information on a location,” Oliver explains simply and John nods but Felicity scoffs, shaking her head from where she’s pacing on the other side of John’s chair.

“We _wait?_ I can’t just wait, I need to do something!” She cries, looking at them as if they’ve both lost their minds.

“Felicity, there is literally nothing for you to do,” John tells her softly and Oliver is grateful for him. He’s been fighting this as a one-man battle all day and it’s nice to know that John is on his side here.

“Except to go home, get some rest, and spend some time with your mother,” Oliver adds, looking at Felicity with a soft, encouraging look.

“You expect me to concentrate on her menial drivel whilst I wait for someone else to tell me whether we’re going to be able to save our friend’s life? It’s _Darhk,_ Oliver.” Felicity huffs, shaking her head. It’s clear that she feels like they just aren’t understanding her but Oliver totally gets where she’s coming from, she just needs to see the bigger picture.

It’s odd, for them to be arguing this way round, usually, it’s her encouraging him to step back and rest.

“If Darhk wanted to kill Ray, he’d have done it a long time ago. He’s had him for six whole months.” John tries to reason but Felicity just groans.

“I just… ugh!” She screams, throwing her head back and Oliver takes a deep breath.

“Felicity, please. You’re stressed and exhausted, you need to rest.” He tells her gently and she whirls around on him.

“Oliver, I am pregnant! That does not make me incapable of doing what I’m good at.” She tells him harshly, narrowing her eyes, and Oliver sighs. She clearly hasn’t understood where he’s coming from here. He doesn’t think she’s incapable of doing this because she’s pregnant, but she’s been awake for nearly forty-eight hours now and _anyone_ would be feeling the strain. The fact that she’s four months pregnant just means that she also needs to be aware that their baby is using up a significant portion of her energy store as well.

“No, but it does mean you need to be aware of your habits and how it might affect _our_ child,” Oliver tells her gently but she just glares at him.

“Oliver’s right, Felicity. You look like you haven’t eaten or slept in days.” John tries to step in and help, but Felicity just turns to look at him with an offended glare.

“Et tu, John?” She questions bitterly before she shakes her head and stalks her way over to the platform. John looks at Oliver who sighs, sending him a pleading look, and the taller man nods, collecting his jacket and heading out to the garage entrance.

Oliver takes a deep breath, taking his time as he stands before he follows his girlfriend over to the central platform where she’s now stood hunched over the keyboard, looking at something on the monitor.

He knows that they need to just have it out, get to the root of the problem, but he cannot help the fear that rises in him at the thought. He _cannot_ lose her, she’s everything to him, and he’s so scared that if he pushes her too far, she’ll snap and leave him. That can’t happen, he won’t let it.

“Felicity, can you please explain to me what on earth is going on with you? I know that inviting your mother for a surprise visit was badly timed and possibly the wrong thing to do all together but you’re acting like it’s my fault that Ray…”

Felicity straightens as he starts to talk but she doesn’t turn to look at him until she interrupts him, eyes no longer blazing with anger but instead with tears that make his heart clench painfully.

“No! It’s my fault.” She tells him simply, shaking her head as she bites the inside of her cheek, and Oliver frowns at her words.

“Honey, it’s really not.” He reassures her softly but she just shakes her head, turning to gesture at the screen.

“Look at that. That is data that shows Ray was sending me distress calls for _weeks_ after the accident. We could’ve found him months ago if I wasn’t so wrapped up with _you._ ”

Oliver freezes at her words. Panic starts to seep in through his bones.

What does she mean? Is she regretting the summer? The two of them altogether? He doesn’t know what he’d do if that’s what she means. She’s all that matters to him, her and their baby growing bigger every day inside her, and he has no idea how he’d survive without her by his side.

“What do you…?” He trails off, tears of his own prickling at his eyes as hers start to spill over and slip down her cheeks.

“I packed up my entire life to travel the world with you and that was _my_ decision but now, every single part of my life is entwined with yours, especially seeing as I’m pregnant and I just… I’m not that girl, Oliver. I’m never _been_ that girl.” She tells him with a broken and scared voice that cuts through Oliver like a knife.

“What girl?” Oliver asks with a frown as he tries to make sense of what she’s saying. He thought their lives being entwined was a good thing, that it meant they were moving forward to a place they both wanted to be.

“The girl who just loses herself in a boy. It’s not who I am, it can’t be who I am.” She replies, the tears flowing freely now and Oliver just stares at her in shock, shaking his head.

“Felicity…” He tries, taking a step towards her but she immediately recoils back like a scared puppy.

“No, I… I’m going to go home and shower.” She tells him as she swallows thickly, reaching up to wipe the tears from her cheek in the way that Oliver aches to do.

“I’ll talk to Lance.” He tells her gently, not knowing what else to say.

“Thank you.” She nods before she takes a deep breath and turns, heading into the elevator. She leaves Oliver stood there as his own tears finally start to fall, alone and confused as to how the hell they can fix this.

* * *

It takes Felicity almost forty-five minutes to shower.

Her brain is whirling with thoughts and she can’t get a hold of any of them but her tears continue to flow freely. She almost puts body wash on her hair in place of shampoo as her vision blurs so badly and when she’s done, she lays on the bed clutching the pillow from Oliver’s side of the bed. She’s exhausted but she can’t get her mind to settle enough to sleep, too many thoughts whirling around.

She can’t get the image of Oliver’s face as she left the bunker out of her mind. He looked so sad and despondent and to know that she did that makes her heart ache so badly.

But she can’t deny the way that her mind is racing in fear. She’s in so deep with Oliver, deeper than she’s ever been, and that terrifies her. She can’t go through what she went through with her father and Cooper, even Ray, all over again. It hurt too much.

“Hon? I brought you some hot milk.”

Felicity looks up to see her mom stood in the doorway, holding the glass with a sad smile on her face as she looks at her daughter.

“I’m not ten, Mom,” Felicity tells her with a small frown that only deepens as Donna turns away.

“I can take it back downstairs?” She offers, gesturing to the door and Felicity frowns, shaking her head.

“Well, seeing as you went to the effort…” She trails off and Donna smirks, placing the glass on the bedside table before she sinks down on the bed next to Felicity.

“Do you remember when you were little and you used to sit by the window waiting for your dad to come home?” She asks softly, reaching out to gently trail her fingers along Felicity’s leg.

Felicity frowns, wondering why her mom is bringing that up, but she swallows thickly at the thought of her father before she nods. “Yeah, you used to ply me away with pieces of tech around the house you’d mysteriously broken.”

Donna nods with a small smile before her expression grows more serious, regarding Felicity tenderly as she continues in a soft voice. “You used to sit there every day for hours. It didn’t matter what I said, you wouldn’t budge. Until one day, you didn’t. When I asked you why, you told me that you realized he was never coming back and there was no point in hoping any different.”

“I was right.” Felicity frowns, taking a deep breath. She hates reminders of her father. They just make her rethink everything she’s done since he left all those years ago.

“You were, but it still made me feel awful. No one wants their eight-year-old to have that kind of cynicism about the world, but I realized that your father and I had implanted that in you through our actions. It’s something that worries me to this day.” Donna continues in the same gentle voice with a frown and Felicity’s brow furrows.

“What do you mean?”

Donna smiles at her, reaching over to gently cup her cheek before she tucks Felicity’s hair behind her ear. “You’re not me, baby, and Oliver’s _not_ your father.”

Felicity blinks at the sudden comparison, immediately getting defensive. “I know that.”

“Do you? Because I know _you,_ baby, and I know what’s going on. You’re pulling away because you’re scared. You know that if you pull away first, you’ll protect your heart from being broken by him if he ever leaves.” Donna tells her softly and Felicity freezes as her mother lays it out so clearly.

“I…” She tries to explain but she trails off, the tears reforming in her eyes as she thinks everything through. She takes a deep breath, shaking her head. “It’s too easy to lose myself in him.”

Her mom practically melts at that, regarding Felicity with a soft, amused expression. She smiles gently, shaking her head as she reaches out to brush her knuckles over Felicity’s cheek in the way she was since Felicity was little. “Oh my sweet girl, that’s how it feels when you love someone. Believe it or not, he’s lost himself in you too, and you’ll find yourselves in each other.”

Felicity blinks as she thinks through her mom’s words.

Is she right? Is this just what love feels like? Is it supposed to be this terrifying?

“But… it scares me, Mom. What if he’s only staying because of the baby? Because he feels obligated to?” She questions, looking at her mother with wide and scared eyes. She hadn’t realized this particular fear until she speaks it but she knows as she says it that it’s what’s been making her stomach clench nervously whenever Oliver speaks so confidently about the future.

“For someone so smart, you can be very silly sometimes.” Her mother comments with an affectionate chuckle, softly pinching Felicity’s cheek admonishingly before her expression softens. “Felicity, Oliver loves you. No one has ever looked at me the way that man looks at you. Pregnant or not, you are everything to him, it’s written all over his face whenever he looks at you.”

“You think?” She asks, feeling her heart glow as she thinks of how much she loves Oliver. That’s not in question, she loves him with everything in him. She sometimes feels like she loves him more than a human being _should_ love another human.

But it’s that what terrifies her. How can she be her own person within that? And what does she do if he ever does leave? How could she cope with that?

But then she thinks of what her mother’s saying. She thinks of the way Oliver looks at her. She thinks of how gentle he is with her and how, even through all of this, what he’s really been trying to do is get her to rest and look after herself.

“I know. And he’s going to be the most incredible father, you know that, right?” Donna questions, her hand slipping down to gently rub over Felicity’s baby bump. She smiles as she thinks of how Oliver’s favorite thing is to lay next to her and speak softly to their baby when they go to bed. She thinks of how sweet he is with Baby Sara and how much their goddaughter adores him, and she knows that her mom is right.

“In my bones.” She comments gently, making Donna smile.

“But don’t you go ruining something incredible because of _my_ mistakes. Believe me when I say that you will never find a man that hot again who cooks.” Her mom teases and Felicity finally chuckles.

“I love you, Mom.” She tells her gently as she leans forward to press a kiss to her cheek.

“I love you too, my sweet girl,” Donna replies, cradling the back of her head. They’re interrupted by the sound of Felicity’s phone sounding off and Felicity looks down to see it’s a text from Oliver saying that they’ve found Ray’s location.

“I have to go.” She sighs as she looks to her mom but Donna just smiles, nodding her head as she reaches out to squeeze Felicity’s hand.

“I’ll be here.”

* * *

Oliver sighs as he lays on his side of the bed, finishing up writing in his journal. It’s been a whirlwind couple of hours but they managed to find and resize Ray and Felicity is currently taking him home and settling him back in.

Oliver is scared. He doesn’t know what she’s going to say when she gets home. She was slightly more responsive to him when she returned to the bunker before the mission and he even got a smile out of her as they were debriefing just before she left with Ray.

_The girl who just loses herself in a boy. It’s not who I am, it can’t be who I am._

Her words play over and over again in his mind. What does she mean? How has she lost herself in him?

There’s a soft noise from the door and Oliver looks up to see her stood there, holding her floral moto jacket to her front like it’s a stuffed animal as she softly approaches the bed. She’s clearly nervous but she doesn’t look angry anymore, which Oliver takes as a good sign.

“How’d it go with Ray?” He asks gently as he places his journal on the nightstand and sits up a little.

“Fine. It’s a good thing I never got round to selling his condo.” Felicity quips and Oliver feels himself deflate slightly in relief at the humor. It reassures him, to know that she’s at least comfortable enough to still be joking.

“Silver linings?” He asks with a quirked eyebrow and Felicity smiles gently into the top of her jacket.

“Indeed.” She practically whispers, her eyes softening as she looks at him. It’s the most affection he’s seen from her in days and it makes his heart clench painfully. He’s _missed_ her.

“I…”

“We…”

They both start to speak before they both stop, smiling tentatively at each other.

“You go.” Felicity prompts but Oliver shakes his head, tilting his head at her with a small smile.

“No, you.” He insists and she takes a deep breath, placing her jacket down on the bed.

“I think we should… clear the air.” She states softly and Oliver sighs, nodding his head. She’s being very gentle in her words and Oliver doesn’t know whether he should be relieved or scared by that.

He forces himself to concentrate on the fact that she’s here and she wants to talk, watching as she gently sinks to the bed and lays on her side in front of him. “Okay.”

“I talked to my mom, you know moms have that crazy ability to just know what’s going on with their kids no matter what? Do you think that’s something that just happens when your kid is born? That must be weird if so, but kind of cool, like parental telepathy.”

Oliver cannot help the smile that spreads across his face as she starts to ramble. She’s so adorable, her brow furrowed as her thoughts just run away from her.

“Hon…” He prompts her softly and she frowns for a moment before she blushes, biting her lip.

“Right. She saw straight through me, in that way that moms do, pointed out to me that what I was worried about wasn’t actually anything to do with you.” Felicity explains gently, smiling embarrassedly at Oliver.

“It wasn’t?” He frowns as her words process, confused as to what she means.

“Only by default, in a way? I… I didn’t exactly have the best example of a healthy relationship growing up.” She switches, looking at him, and the candor he can see glowing in her eyes makes his heart feel light.

“Line forms behind me.” He counters with a small wink and feels pride rise in his chest as she giggles gently.

“I just… First with my dad, and then with Cooper, and then Ray dying… every man I’ve cared for has either left or been ripped away from me. When you go through that enough times, you create a way to stop your heart from being broken again.”

Her voice is so quiet and scared as she speaks and Oliver feels his heart clench. She’s being so open and vulnerable. Oliver knows how difficult that is for her, especially on this topic, and he’s so grateful that she’s opening up to him.

“Felicity…” He sighs softly, tilting his head as he regards her with a reassuring smile and she smiles back before she pulls her lips back and takes a deep breath.

“I should tell you, I was also worried that the only reason you were here with me was because of the baby, that you felt an obligation to be with me because of them.” She tells him quietly and Oliver’s brow furrows, shaking his head as he rushes to reassure her of just how much that is _not_ the case.

“Honey, no… I love _you,_ baby or not and I know that you have a lot of trauma in your past which means you struggle to accept this, but I’m not going anywhere. I am going to be here for you and our baby, no matter what. You won’t have to go through what your mom did and our baby won’t have to go through what you did, I promise.”

He keeps his voice quiet and he’s slow and gentle as he reaches out to touch her, rubbing his hand down her arm before it lands on her bump with a soft caress.

“How can you make a promise like that with what we do at night?” Felicity counters, looking at him with fear playing in her bright blue eyes and Oliver smiles with a small smile.

“Because no matter what happens out there, I will always fight my hardest to come home to you, and with you and our baby as inspiration, there’s no fight I cannot win.” He tells her earnestly, the words feeling even more true as he speaks them aloud. There’s nothing he wouldn’t do to keep her and their child safe and there’s nothing he wouldn’t do to make sure that he’s there for them.

“We’re going to be fine.” Felicity smiles after a long moment’s pause, her eyes _finally_ sparkling with their usual light as she looks over at him.

“Yeah?” Oliver questions gently and Felicity’s smile grows as she nods.

“Yeah. We’ve found ourselves in each other.” She states simply and Oliver grins at her words, the gravity and truth of them registering with him.

He keeps his eyes locked on hers as he leans in, gently kissing her and sighing into the connection he’s so dearly missed over the past few days. They’re upside down from each other but they don’t let that deter them, deepening the kiss with a gentle sigh from them both as they relax into one another.

Felicity moves slowly, never breaking the connection, and twists her head so that she’s the right way up before she carefully climbs atop him to straddle him. Oliver holds her hips steady, conscious of the bump between them, but all thoughts fly out of his mind as she stands to grind her hips down into his pelvis.

Suddenly, however, the front door sounds as it shuts and they separate with a sigh, Felicity smiling down at him softly as she brushes her hand across his jaw.

“That’s my mom.” She explains needlessly and Oliver nods with a small smile.

“C’mon, we should go let her know everything’s okay.” He tells her softly, gently pressing against her hip, and Felicity nods with a small sigh, holding onto him as she climbs off of him.

Oliver holds tightly to her hand as they make their way downstairs to see Donna stood by the kitchen table. The mother turns to look at them with a smile, it only growing when her eyes dart down to their enjoined hands and how Felicity is pressed up against Oliver’s side.

“You two made up?” She asks hopefully and Oliver looks down at Felicity as she chuckles.

“Yes.” Felicity answers but she smiles up at Oliver softly instead of looking at her mom and Oliver takes in a deep breath as he looks at her, unable to help the grin that spreads across his face as well.

“Good, I was telling Felicity she better hold onto you. A man who can cook? Not always easy to come by.” Donna smirks as she walks over, batting her hand gently against Oliver’s arm and he chuckles, smiling at the woman he hopes will become his mother-in-law.

“I appreciate that, Donna.” He tells her with a smile, sticking his tongue out at Felicity when she coughs ‘ _suck up’_ into her free hand. He lifts their joined hands to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against her palm before he lets her hand go, heading towards the kitchen. “Can I make you ladies some hot cocoa?”

“That sounds perfect.” Donna smiles appreciatively and Felicity hums with a small nod.

“Thanks, hon.” She tells him gently and Oliver smiles at her. He can tell that the events of the past few days are seriously starting to catch up with her and combined with her lack of sleep, she’s starting to flake.

“You okay, baby?” Oliver hears Donna question as she leads Felicity over to sit down on the couch and he smiles at the sight of the two of them curled up close.

“Hmm.”

He makes quick work of the cocoa and joins them on the couch, smiling as Felicity leans back against him when he settles on her other side. After the past few days, it feels like a novelty to hold her in his arms and he presses a long kiss to the top of her head, the arm he wraps around her trailing softly up and down her arm.

“Now that you two are past your fight, we can move on to more important things. Baby!” Donna squeals, making grabby hands towards Felicity’s stomach, and Oliver chuckles as Felicity sighs.

“Hmm, Mama’s sorry she hasn’t been looking after herself properly recently,” Felicity comments softly and tiredly, her hand rubbing gently across her bump and Oliver smiles, kissing the top of her head again.

“We’ve got plenty of time to rest now.” He reassures her and she tilts her head back, smiling gently up at him.

“I’ve seen all the pictures, of course, but I need to know, have you thought about names yet?” Donna questions and Oliver can’t help but smile at the clear excitement in her voice. It’s so nice to have other people as enthusiastic as they are.

“We have one for a boy… Thomas Lucas.” Oliver tells her with a smile, it only growing when Felicity hums contently, wriggling back into him.

“Oh, that’s lovely. How about a girl?” Donna sighs before doing a small, excited dance/jiggle in her seat that makes Oliver chuckle.

“We’re struggling a little more there. Everything we think of with sentimental value is a little… testy.” Felicity explains and clenches her teeth as she clearly searches for the right word to say. Oliver hums in agreement, furrowing his brow. They’ve talked a little more about it since their conversation with John but they still haven’t come to a decision.

“Well, I almost called you Leora, I always loved that name.” Donna comments almost absent-mindedly but Oliver’s eyes widen at the name. It’s beautiful and he can immediately picture a blonde-haired mini-Felicity staring up at him when he hears it.

“Leora, that’s so pretty. What does it mean?” He questions gently, his hand moving down to entwine with Felicity’s hand over her bump.

“Light unto me, it’s Hebrew,” Donna explains and he hears Felicity’s soft intake of breath which lets him know she likes it as much as he does.

“Leora. I like it.” She comments as she twists her head to look at him, the question evident in her eyes.

“Leora Megan?” Oliver suggests, his eyes widening at how perfect it sounds as he speaks it aloud.

“Oh,” Felicity states, her eyes widening with tears playing in them before she swallows thickly and nods her head vehemently.

“Well hello then, Leora or Thomas. It is very nice to finally meet you.” Donna comments with a smile as she reaches out to touch Felicity’s bump gently and Oliver grins with a contented sigh.

Totally perfect.

* * *

Things calm down slightly over the next couple of weeks. They face off with Darhk a few more times, making progress in John’s investigation into the death of his brother. Turns out, Andy Diggle is another name they can add to the list of ‘not actually dead’ people they know. It’s a list that is getting increasingly long. Felicity tries to help Ray figure out what to do now that he has _his_ life back but her old boss and boyfriend seems very lost. It’s relatively calm for them and as Felicity enters her 19th week of pregnancy, officially nearing the halfway point, they’re both extremely grateful for it. Their second sonogram is next week and both Oliver and Felicity are so excited to see just how much their baby has grown, as well as the possibility of knowing whether it’s Leora or Tommy in there.

…and then Barry Allen comes flying back into their lives.

It’s strange to Oliver that they only appear to meet once a year and it’s always only when one of them is in serious trouble. For Barry this time, it’s Cisco’s friend, Kendra, who is apparently being hunted by an immortal… because apparently, the world wasn’t strange _enough._

Things only get weirder when a man with wings appears and tells them that he and Kendra are reincarnated soulmates who are destined to find each other again in every new life they live.

Oliver’s not sure that the world isn’t just trying to completely fuck with his head this year.

They do their best their plan leads them to Central City and when, upon arriving Felicity has the _biggest_ craving for a milkshake, to CC Jitters specifically. Barry teases Oliver about how easily he gives in to Felicity when she pouts as they stand in line.

“Hey, don’t underestimate the pout.” Oliver frowns to their friend as Felicity tucks herself under his arm.

“It’s basically my superpower.” She states proudly, smirking at Oliver with a quirk of her shoulder, and the speedster laughs.

“I thought that was your brain?” He teases with a raised eyebrow and Felicity narrows her eyes at him.

“I can have two!” She insists and Oliver chuckles.

“Pouty Wise Girl, has a real ring to it.” He thinks aloud, grinning down at Felicity when she gasps, turning her mock glare onto him.

“Stop it, you.” She pouts but Oliver just narrows his eyes right back at her.

“And here I thought you two were nauseating before you got together. Now it’s like eating a lollipop wrapped in candy floss whilst sat in a room full of puppies.” Barry comments with a small snort and Oliver rolls his eyes, pulling his face back from Felicity’s as he turns back to their friend. 

“Very funny.” He comments amusedly with a roll of his eyes, his grip loosening on Felicity slightly.

Just as he does, a small boy comes flying past, pushing between him and Felicity before he trips and drops the action figure he’s carrying on the floor.

“Oh!” Felicity gasps in surprise, her hand instinctively flying to her baby bump and Oliver frowns at her concernedly until she reassures him she’s okay with a small nod of her head.

“Watch yourself there, buddy,” Barry tells the small boy, who can’t be more than eight or nine, with a small smile and he frowns, looking at Felicity with worry on his face.

“I’m sorry! I didn’t hurt your baby, did I, Miss?” He asks sweetly, his eyes wide, and Felicity smiles gently, shaking her head.

“No, you’re fine, sweetheart. Though be careful, you don’t want to lose your action figure.” Felicity reassures him gently, smiling as Oliver bends to pick up the action figure, which just so happens to be of the Flash.

“Thanks, Mister.” The boy smiles as Oliver hands it back to them and he turns his gaze to Felicity with a wider grin before he turns and rushes over to the woman waiting by the door.

“Oh, how sweet,” Felicity comments with a grin but Oliver freezes as the woman turns around and bends down in front of the boy to fix his jacket.

He knows that face, that woman…

It’s Samantha Clayton. The woman he got pregnant around ten years ago, talking to a boy who looks an awful lot like her who also looks to be around nine years old.

Could it possibly be…?

“Oliver, hon, you okay?” Felicity's voice cuts through his bleary mind and Oliver blinks, looking down at her to see her frowning up at him.

“I, um… no.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity have a week of momentous and life-changing moments <3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, long time no see on this one! I really hope you enjoy this new chapter and that you are your families are keeping safe. 
> 
> I just want to point you all towards the excellent resource of https://blacklivesmatters.carrd.co/ and implore you all to use it in order to support the Black Lives Matter cause. There is no help that is too little and everyone is capable of signing petitions and sharing resources, no matter how big your platform! 
> 
> I sincerely hope you enjoy this chapter and please let me know if you do by leaving a kudos and/or comment, they make my day! <3

Felicity frowns. She hasn’t seen Oliver like this for months. He’s closed off, silent, stood blinking at the empty doorway of Jitters as if he’s seen a ghost.

“Oliver?” She tries, placing a comforting hand on his arm and he jolts but doesn’t look at her, still staring towards the door the young boy just exited with his mother.

“Is he okay?” Barry asks from behind her, looking between Oliver and Felicity with a baffled expression.

Felicity ignores him, looking up at her boyfriend concernedly. Rising onto her toes, she gently places her hand on his cheek and speaks in a soft voice. “Oliver, hey, it’s me. It’s Felicity. Can you look at me, honey?”

With a tender encouragement, Oliver finally looks down at her and Felicity’s heart breaks at the look in his eyes. He’s lost, confused, and scared. She doesn’t know what just happened, but she knows it can’t be anything good.

“I…” He starts but his throat is thick with emotion and he stops immediately, looking down at Felicity with fearful eyes.

“Hey, it’s okay.” She tells him with an encouraging smile, running her hand up and down his arm. He takes a deep breath, swallows thickly, before he finally manages to speak a single word.

“Samantha.”

“Samantha?” Felicity repeats with a frown, wracking her brain for why the name rings a bell and a possible explanation for why it would have him spooked. Until it suddenly hits her. “ _Oh._ ”

The conversation they had in Ivy Town, when Oliver explained to her that he got a girl pregnant before but that she had miscarried. Samantha Clayton… ten years ago. Judging the age of the boy who just bumped into them before running over to her, Felicity knows he couldn’t be older than nine or younger than around eight.

Which means…

“That was her?” Felicity hastens to confirm, looking up at Oliver with a furrowed brow.

“Yeah.” He answers softly, the shock in his face diminishing into confusion as he shakes his head with a deep sigh.

“Who’s Samantha?”

The sound of Barry’s voice makes Felicity jump, she had honestly forgotten he was even there. She looks up to Oliver and he shakes his head quickly, making Felicity nod gently before she turns to Barry, sliding her hands down to wrap around one of Oliver’s supportively.

“Barry. It might be best if you go to the safehouse and monopolize everyone to start tracking Savage down.” Felicity suggests, trying her best to smile reassuringly at their friend.

“You guys aren’t coming?” Barry asks, looking between them with a frown.

“We’ll be along,” Oliver answers curtly and Barry startles a little at it. He continues to glance between them, a curious and disbelieving look on his face.

“Well, we could really use your help so…” He states slowly, making Felicity huff as he clearly doesn’t get the message.

“Barry. Not now.” She tells him, her tone burgeoning on the loud voice that Oliver and John are so scared of. It seems to do the job and Barry straightens, nodding his head.

“Okay, I’ll um… I’ll see you guys later.” He tells them with a confused frown before he heads for the door, glancing back at them over his shoulder a couple of times before there’s a sudden flash of light and he takes off at superspeed.

“Come on, honey, let’s go sit down,” Felicity speaks softly to Oliver, directing her attention back to him and leading him over to a seat at the back of the coffee shop. They gain a few odd looks but a harsh glare from Felicity forces the strangers to avert their curious looks.

Oliver sinks into the armchair with a soft slump, his brow furrowed and his breathing slow. Felicity sits down next to him, still holding his hand in both of hers. She lifts it up to her mouth, kissing his knuckles a few times as she allows him time to get his breath back.

“I don’t know for sure.” He says after a long moment and Felicity nods her head.

“That’s true. Silly question but… are you okay?” She asks, watching as Oliver deflates. She rubs one hand up his arm, looping under his bicep in the way that usually calms him down.

“I… I don’t know. Is it weird that I sort of already feel connected to him?” Oliver asks with a confused blink, looking at Felicity with bafflement all over his face. Felicity sighs, a small smile spreading across her lips.

“Oh Oliver, not at all. He might be your _son_. I was connected to this little nugget from the moment Thea suggested I might be pregnant.” She reassures him softly, rubbing a hand over her protruding stomach and Oliver’s expression softens as well, the trace of a smile spreading on his lips as he watches her hand.

“Yeah?” He questions gently and Felicity chuckles tenderly, nodding her head.

“Yeah.”

“I suppose there’s only one way to know for sure,” Oliver states after a moment’s pause and Felicity frowns, tilting her head as she looks at him.

“Talking to Samantha?” She questions with a quirked eyebrow and Oliver nods. He quickly frowns, however, worrying his bottom lip with his teeth.

“I just… this isn’t the first time I’ve seen her.” He admits and Felicity’s eyebrows rise in surprise.

“Oh?” She prompts softly and waits patiently as Oliver takes a deep breath. She knows how hard it is for him to be so open and she’s so grateful that he’s talking to her about this instead of closing himself off and dealing with it by himself in the way she knows he might of in the past. It’s a true testament to how much he’s grown and she’s just so happy he’s leaning on her for support now.

“When we were here last year, helping Barry and his team with Bivolo, I ran into her.” Oliver explains quietly and Felicity’s mind floods with understanding. She thought she had recognized the woman. It’s because she’s seen her before, just before she and Oliver got ready to head back to Star City.

“She was here, just before we left. I remember.” Felicity nods, remembering how shocked Oliver had looked to run into the woman with long dark hair and sparkling dark eyes. She remembers how he’d been quiet for a lot of the ride back to their home but that she hadn’t felt comfortable enough to ask him about it at the time. It’s odd to think that was only a year ago and here they are now.

“I asked her about it then, the pregnancy, she didn’t say anything. I don’t think she’d tell me even if I asked.” Oliver explains with a frown and Felicity bites the inside of her cheek as she thinks.

“Well, there is another way. You know, to make sure we know for sure before we interrupt her whole life on a hunch.” She tells him gently and that grasps his attention, his soft blue eyes turning towards her with a curious look.

“What do you mean?”

* * *

Felicity knows that this isn’t the most moralistic of plans.

It’s probably not kosher to try and obtain part of a child’s DNA in order to run a paternity test but in Felicity’s defense, it means that they’ll know outright whether the boy is Oliver’s before they have to even bother Samantha. She hopes that the woman will be appreciative of that in the long run and it’s not like she’s going to harm the kid in any way.

Okay, yeah, not their best moment.

Finding Samantha’s address was simple once they cross-referenced her name with law firms in the city. It had taken less than five minutes before they were in the car and heading towards the suburbs of the city.

The Clayton house is nice. Clearly well looked after and more than large enough for a mother and a single child. There’s a swing set on the front lawn and a few more toys scattered neatly around. Felicity stays out of sight until she sees Samantha and the boy leave the house. She takes a glance down the road to see Oliver watching nervously from the car before she takes a deep breath and walks down the sidewalk, wandering into the mother and son’s path at exactly the right time.

“Oh my goodness, I am so sorry!” She exclaims when they crash into each other, Samantha hitting softly into her back when she turns at exactly the right moment.

“Don’t be! Oh god, you’re pregnant. Are you okay?” Samantha gasps, looking worriedly between Felicity’s bump and her face and Felicity feels a jolt of guilt as the woman reacts so kindly immediately.

Their collision has caused Samantha to drop the boy’s cap and Felicity sees the opportunity as it presents itself, bending down awkwardly to pick it up. She switches hands as she stands, keeping the few strands of hair loose in the cap in her free hand.

“I’m fine, we both are. I’m sorry. I clearly wasn’t looking where I was going.” She answers with a soft, self-deprecating smile, handing the cap back to Samantha who smiles at her appreciatively.

“You’re the lady from Jitters!” The boy suddenly exclaims and Felicity looks down at him. She’s immediately jolted by the resemblance she can see to her boyfriend now that she’s looking for it. He has Oliver’s blue eyes and the same discerning look in them as he tilts his head in a familiar way to look at her.

“I am indeed.” Felicity chuckles, completely baffled by the way her heart is immediately warming to the small boy in front of her.

“You should be more careful.” William states with a small nod and Felicity laughs, his bluntness catching her off guard.

It seems even personality traits can be hereditary.

“William!” Samantha gasps, clearly not as amused as Felicity is. The name makes Felicity freeze, a small smile spreading across her face at the sound of it.

 _William._ What a lovely name for a lovely boy.

“I am so sorry. Apologize, please, now.” The mother instructs, sending William a disapproving look, and William sighs, looking back at Felicity with a guilty expression.

“I’m sorry.” He tells her in that way only kids can get away with. It’s sweet but ever so slightly begrudging, though it somehow manages to also be adorable.

“It’s okay. You’re right. I’ve been a bit clumsy as of late.” Felicity smiles at him, still so baffled at how much of Oliver she can see in him.

“I was the same when I was pregnant with William. It’s like you leave your brain in bed when you wake up in the morning.” Samantha chuckles and Felicity finds herself laughing in agreement with a nod of her head. Whilst this wasn’t a result of pregnancy brain, she’s certainly been experiencing that.

“That’s it exactly. I’m so sorry again.” Felicity apologizes, smiling as she watches Samantha wrap an arm around William and tug him into her side. The young boy goes willingly, the bond between mother and son evident even in the small action.

“Don’t be silly. Look after yourself, those of us doing it alone have to look out for each other.” Samantha smiles at her and Felicity frowns for a moment, confused by her words before she shakes her head.

“Oh, I’m not… my boyfriend is just at work.” She lies quickly, having to resist the urge to look back to where Oliver is waiting in the car.

“I see. Well, I’m glad you have someone. I had my parents but it must be nice to have someone there with you through it all.” Samantha tells her, her expression wavering for a moment before it lands back on the warm yet polite smile.

“Yeah, it is. He’s the best.” Felicity cannot help but smile as she thinks of just how wonderful Oliver is. He does get her into insane situations like this one but she wouldn’t change a thing about him for the world. “And I should be getting back to him.”

“Of course, we should get going anyway.” Samantha smiles politely, running a hand over William’s hair.

“I apologize again, to both of you,” Felicity tells them with a smile, it growing as she smiles down at William softly.

“Bye, lady!” He calls as his mother directs him towards their car with a parting smile to Felicity and the blonde chuckles, waving back at him when he starts. Shaking her hand and glancing back at the hair still clasped in her hand, she starts to walk back up the road, making sure Samantha and William have driven off before she climbs back into the car with Oliver.

* * *

“You want to use my DNA sequencer?”

Oliver sighs at Barry’s immediate opposition to Felicity’s question.

After Felicity successfully obtained William’s hair, they’d planned to head straight to CCPD to ask this exact question of Barry.

Unfortunately, the real reason they’re in Central City stepped in and they had to head back to the team for a meeting with Vandal Savage that proves entirely fruitless. They set the team back on the case and then ask Barry for his help.

Oliver’s head is spinning and he really doesn’t have the energy to deal with Barry right now.

He possibly has a son.

A son who is nine years old.

 _William,_ Felicity said that’s his name. It’s a lovely name. A lovely name for what might be his son.

His mind is honestly just completely blank. He’s been trying to process this, but even trying to concentrate on the Savage matter is completely fruitless. He’s just so glad that he has Felicity by his side through all of this. He really doesn’t know what he’d do without her and she’s just proving that all over again.

“Yes. I mean or you can super speed me back to mine but I figured this might be quicker.” Felicity counters Barry’s question with a shrug.

“What are you two up to? You know there’s another fight we’ve got to face, right?” Barry’s eyes narrow as he looks between the two of them and Oliver sighs, shaking his head.

“We know and it will have our attention but this is… something bigger.” He explains diplomatically. He knows that he has no need to pull Barry in on this and to be honest, he really doesn’t want to. He can handle this with Felicity and Felicity alone and he wishes Barry would just comply so that they can figure this out.

After all, once they figure this out, they can get back to Savage.

“Bigger than hand over Kendra and Carter or the whole of Central City dies? Bigger than that?” Barry asks and the judgemental tone in his voice rubs Oliver completely the wrong way. His shoulders square off and he takes a step towards his colleague, only stopping when Felicity slides a hand up his arm.

“Barry, please, for us.” His girlfriend pleads, tilting her head and widening her eyes in the way that Oliver knows no-one is immune to, least of all him. He sees the exact moment Barry relents and he sighs, his shoulders slumping.

“Fine, but this is all very odd.” The speedster frowns as he regards them but Oliver just clears his throat, leveling Barry with a far harsher expression than Felicity’s pout.

“Barry.” He states simply and that has the man nodding.

“Okay, okay. Let’s go.”

Within seconds, Barry has speeded them to the precinct. He shows them over to the sequencer and then tells them to call him when they’re done. He leaves with another discerning look but both Oliver and Felicity ignore him in favor of getting to work.

Well, by that, Oliver means that he steps back and lets Felicity work as he burns a hole in Barry’s office floor with his pacing.

It feels like a lifetime but it’s really only a few minutes until the machine is beeping with a result and Felicity’s eyes are widening as she looks down at the paper she prints.

“He’s mine?” Oliver asks as the breath leaves his lungs. Felicity hasn’t said anything but he knows her well enough to be able to read her expression and her shock mixed with the understanding in her eyes is as good of an admission.

“I’ve done enough tests on your blood to know your DNA sequence, Oliver. William… he’s your son.” She finally gets out, looking between the sheet and Oliver with a gentle frown.

Oliver freezes.

He’s been trying to deal with the possibility of this being true for hours now but being faced with the truth right in front of him? That has his head spinning like he hasn’t experienced in a long time.

“Wow.”

That’s all he can get out and he stumbles back a few steps, falling into the chair behind Barry’s desk.

He just can’t wrap his head around it. He has a son. A nine-year-old son. A son who is halfway to adulthood. He’s missed so many milestones, he didn’t even know he existed.

He’s been so sure he was going to make sure he’s a good parent to the child unborn within Felicity but it turns out, he’s already a parent.

And he’s been a completely absent one.

“Are you okay?” Felicity’s voice is grounding and the hand that lands on his shoulder is doubly so. Oliver forces himself to focus on the sound of her breath and the weight of her hand, allowing him to draw his strength from her and breathe deeply.

“I don’t… I don’t know.” He stumbles out, blinking for a moment before he swallows thickly and looks up at her. She’s staring down at him with such a supportive and caring look that it has Oliver’s heart clenching as if there’s a vice around it.

“Hey, we’ll work this out. It’s you and me, we always do.” She tells him softly, moving her hand to cup his cheek and Oliver takes a deep breath, nuzzling into the comfort and warmth she provides.

“I just… I don’t understand any of this.” He states after a long moment, opening his eyes and looking into Felicity’s. He knows she doesn’t have the answers but the care in her eyes calms the pain in his heart enough to feel like he can breathe easy.

“I think there’s only one person who can explain this.” Felicity prompts him softly, and even though Oliver knows she’s right, he immediately freezes at the thought of confronting Samantha on this.

It’s clear that she doesn’t want him to know and Oliver doesn’t want to invade her life, despite how much he wants to meet and get to know William.

“So I do what? Just show up at her house? Isn’t that an invasion of her privacy?” Oliver questions, looking at Felicity with an expression as lost as he feels. Luckily for him, Felicity is as logical as ever, and her hand caresses his cheek in a way that helps to calm him.

“Oliver. William is your son. You have every right to get an explanation about all this.” She tells him slowly and Oliver sighs, his brow furrowing before he nods his head. He knows that she’s right and his curiosity about the whole thing overwhelms his fear of Samantha lashing out.

He needs an explanation at the very least. 

“I… yeah. Will you come with me?” Oliver asks, reaching up and catching Felicity’s free hand with his. He watches as her expression changes from care to shock, her eyebrows raising for a moment before that familiar crinkle appears in her forehead.

“You want me to?” She questions and Oliver smiles for the first time since William ran into them at Jitters.

“You’re my life now. She needs to know that. If anything comes of this, Samantha needs to know that you and I are a package deal.” Oliver tells Felicity, honestly, squeezing her hand and she smiles. When she’s looking at him like that, with her hand in his, Oliver knows there’s little he can’t conquer.

* * *

Felicity was being honest when she said to Oliver earlier that he deserves a right to know about what happened with his son. She stands by that.

That doesn’t, however, stop the way her stomach flutters nervously as they approach the Clayton house for the second time that day.

Her hand is tightly held in Oliver’s and she reaches to clasp her free one around their joined as they approach the gate of the property. She can feel the nerves and anxiety coming off of him in waves and she wants to offer as much comfort as she can. She can’t imagine what he’s thinking right now, but she knows that she can be there for him in whatever way he needs.

Unlike earlier, Samantha and William are settled comfortably on the porch. Samantha is sat in a deck chair, a magazine open on her lap, and William is running around her, superhero figures clutched in hand. It’s an entirely domestic and adorable scene and Felicity both hears and feels Oliver gasp as he takes William in properly for the first time knowing he’s his son.

The sound of the gasp alerts Samantha to their presence and her eyes widen as she takes them in, darting between Oliver and Felicity in disbelief. She stands from the chair, placing the magazine down on it, before she turns to her son.

“Honey, why don’t you go finish that inside?” She prompts and Felicity can see how thinly veiled the smile she paints on her face is. William, however, is none the wiser, and he just groans, looking up at his mother pleadingly.

“Mom! The Flash hasn’t saved Central City yet!” He bemoans with a pout but Samantha is undeterred, her expression growing a little sterner.

“Now, honey.” She insists and Felicity thinks it’s a testament to how good a parent she must be when William relents with no further argument apart from a small sigh.

With William safely inside, Samantha turns back to them, looking at them over the gate with a careful expression. She’s clearly determined not to show them her panic but it’s evident in her face as she regards them.

“Can we come in?” Felicity asks softly, gesturing to the gate and Samantha swallows thickly before she nods. It’s small, barely detectable if they weren’t staring at one another, but it’s an agreement nonetheless and Felicity takes it. Opening the gate, she and Oliver step through into the yard as Samantha descends the porch steps.

“Your boyfriend…” The mother sighs in understanding, her eyes trained on Oliver and Felicity bites the inside of her cheek embarrassedly.

“My boyfriend.” She confirms and Samantha’s eyes narrow as she turns to look at Felicity properly.

“That was a cruel trick.” Samantha states simply and Felicity sighs, nodding her head.

“It was and I’m really sorry about that. We didn’t want to bother you unnecessarily.” She explains with a guilty expression, watching Samantha closely. She really does feel guilty about her actions earlier but she’s also glad she did it.

If the test had shown different results, they could’ve just dealt with Savage and been on their way home without ever having to bother Samantha. Seeing how their mere presence in her yard seems to have spooked the mother, Felicity feels like it was the right call overall.

Samantha looks over to Oliver then, her entire body deflating before she takes a deep breath and crosses her arms over her stomach. Felicity squeezes her boyfriend’s hand, trying to give him as much strength as she can muster. Her stomach feels like she’s let a kaleidoscope of butterflies free in there so she can only guess how nervous Oliver is right now.

“I suppose you know then.” Samantha states simply and Oliver swallows thickly before he nods.

“Felicity knows her way around a DNA sequencer.” He explains with a small shrug and that pushes Samantha’s attention back onto Felicity for a small moment.

“I see.”

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Oliver asks suddenly and the pain evident in his voice cuts through Felicity like a knife. It hurts her to see how confused and pained he is by all of this, though she cannot blame him in the slightest. To find out that you have a child out in the world that you weren’t even aware of? She can’t imagine knowing that she’d missed nine years of her baby’s life.

“Your mother told me not to.”

Of all the things Felicity had been expecting Samantha to cite as a reason for why she kept William a secret from Oliver, Moira Queen was certainly not one of them.

Felicity has a _colorful_ relationship with the late mother of her boyfriend but she’s been coming around on her since Oliver began telling her stories of his childhood. She knows instinctively that this revelation is going to undo that good work.

“What?” Oliver questions, that pained and baffled expression coming across his face once more and Felicity squeezes his hand again, feeling entirely helpless. Samantha’s expression softens a little, regarding Oliver with a soft yet pitying look.

“She offered me a million dollars to tell you that I had a miscarriage.” Samantha elaborates and Felicity feels herself freeze as Oliver does the same next to her.

That is… good lord.

Felicity knows that Moira Queen was a multifarious person to say the least, but to learn that she did something so convoluted and _cruel…_ it’s entirely shocking.

“My mother… she was a complicated woman but she would never…” Oliver trails off in immediate defense and Felicity winces, her mind immediately cutting to the memory of standing in front of the formidable figure of Moira Queen in the mansion’s lounge. She’d exposed the woman’s deepest secret and had been subject to a peek at the lioness that hid behind the professional façade.

Of all the villains and criminals they’ve faced as a part of Team Arrow, Felicity will always remember that moment as one of her most fearful.

“Honey.” She prompts softly as Oliver’s defensive nature flares and he turns to look at her, staring at her for a moment before his shoulders slump and he nods in resign.

“Maybe you should come inside.” Samantha comments after a pause and Felicity smiles at her gratefully.

“Thank you.”

They follow the mother up the steps and into the house, stopping when she prompts them with a hand out.

“Wait here.” She tells them and they both nod, watching her head into what looks like a study off of the entranceway.

“Oh my god…” Felicity mumbles as her eyes land on the frames that sit atop the hallway table. They’re filled with pictures of William, from when he was a baby until some that look incredibly recent. She cannot help but smile at the sight of such a happy and wonderful little boy. 

“He’s beautiful.” Oliver gasps from next to her, his eyes shiny as he looks at the frames and Felicity squeezes their hands where they’re still entwined, smiling up at him.

“Yeah, he is.”

Samantha returns at that moment, holding a small slip of paper which she passes to Oliver. “Here. I never cashed it. I didn’t need that money to know I didn’t want her anywhere near my child.”

Sure enough, it’s a check from one Moira Queen to Samantha written for one million dollars ten years ago.

“Or me anywhere near him,” Oliver comments blankly as he stares down at the slip of paper with an unreadable expression on his face.

“Oliver…” Felicity melts, rubbing a hand up his arm. She chances a look at Samantha, hoping for some support but the mother just shakes her head. She turns away from them and begins to make her way down the hallway, causing both Oliver and Felicity to have to scramble to keep up.

“No. He’s right. My son didn’t need the influence of someone who punches out paparazzi and goes around knocking young girls up.”

Oliver deflates at Samantha’s words as they reach a charming open concept kitchen-diner but they merely ignite Felicity as her brow furrows as she turns towards the mother.

“He’s not that man anymore.” She starts simply, feeling her muscles tense at the thought of Samantha still judging Oliver for the person he was ten years ago.

“Felicity…” Oliver starts, reaching out towards her but Felicity shakes her head, turning to look at him sharply.

“No. That’s not fair to you. You’ve changed so much, I’ve never even met the man she’s describing. You are kind and caring and loving and I know you’re going to be an incredible father to our baby just as you would be an excellent father to that little boy if you were given the chance.” She protests vehemently and Oliver looks entirely conflicted for a moment before he takes a deep breath, running a hand over his face. Felicity knows he’s overwhelmed but if he’s not going to fight for himself, she’s more than willing to do it for him.

“I know you’re not that man anymore, Oliver,” Samantha states softly, forcing Oliver and Felicity to break their intense eye contact and look back to the mother who is watching them with a curious expression. Felicity looks over at Oliver to see his eyebrow raised, prompting Samantha to continue. The brunette takes a deep breath, swallowing before she starts to speak again. “I do. I’ve kept an eye on things in Star City. But you’re running for mayor, your girlfriend is running a company, you’re having a baby. Your mother and best friend were murdered. You can’t honestly tell me that your life isn’t any less hectic than it was when I knew you.”

Felicity feels her heart sink at Samantha’s words.

She’s right.

They live an incredibly hectic life. It’s something she herself has been worrying about since they returned to Star City. They’re bringing a baby into that hectic life as well and, as much as Felicity knows they will handle it the way they handle everything, _together,_ she can’t deny that Samantha’s assessment is true.

“You’re right,” Oliver replies with a heavy sigh, stepping past Felicity so that he’s stood between her and Samantha.

She shoots him a concerned look, not wanting him to just give up now, but as she looks at him properly, Felicity can see a determination in his eyes that wasn’t there a moment ago. This isn’t him giving up, in fact, it’s the opposite. This is him fighting for himself.

“My life is hectic but I don’t think that should stop me from getting to know William. I would like a chance at the very least. And him… don’t you think he deserves a chance to know his father?” Oliver’s voice is calm, logical, and reasoned, and Felicity can see Samantha blink as that logic sinks in. Her heart glows with pride for Oliver, she knows he’s been worried about disrupting the life Samantha and William have but he’s right. He and William deserve a chance to know one another.

“William is good, he’s well-adjusted. I do not want to turn his world on its head. That’s not fair to him.” Samantha continues, but her voice is far softer. Her expression is pained and Felicity knows that this must be incredibly hard for her. She just hopes that it doesn’t stop her from seeing Oliver’s point of view and understanding the chance her son deserves.

“Samantha, I’m not saying I want to suddenly split custody and have him call me ‘daddy’. I know that’s far too much too soon. But I would just like the chance to talk to him, to get to know him, to see the incredible boy that you’ve raised.” Oliver adds, keeping his voice level.

Samantha glances between them for a moment before sighing deeply. She bites her lip and the internal battle is evident on her face. Felicity glances at Oliver to see his hand nervously twitching in his usual way.

“No one else can know. Besides the two of you. That’s already more than I ever imagined anyway.” Samantha finally speaks and Felicity frowns at her words. Oliver jolts too, clearly not expecting that ultimatum from her.

“Samantha, I’m not sure that’s entirely fair. We have a family, people it would hurt to hide this information from.” He starts and Felicity can tell that he’s trying to stay calm but she can also see how the emotion immediately clouds his expression and thickens his voice. She knows that the idea of keeping another secret from Thea is unthinkable to him. It’s exactly what has torn their family apart in the past and she knows the thought of having to hide something this big from her is reprehensible to him.

“Oliver, you are here in my house, asking me to give up my entire world. All I’m asking for is the same in return.” Samantha argues back, her voice gaining an edge and Felicity winces as she sees the situation begin to escalate again.

“Okay, I think we can all take a deep breath.” Felicity frowns, stepping forward and placing a hand on Oliver’s back to calm him. He looks down at her and she shakes her head softly, stroking her hand down his back before grasping his hand and squeezing it. She looks back at Samantha, taking a deep breath before she speaks with the most reassuring smile she can muster. “This is a very new situation. We understand this is incredibly hard for you, Samantha, certainly something you never would’ve considered. That being said, this is also incredibly hard for Oliver. I think it’s reasonable to say that we’re happy to keep this between us for now, but that’s not something we can agree to forever.”

“I understand that there’s going to be a transitionary period but I… you can’t ask me to keep my son a secret from my family forever. That’s something my parents would’ve done and I am very determined to be better than they were.” Oliver adds and Felicity squeezes his hand when she spots the tears forming in his eyes as he gets choked up.

“I suppose that’s fair.” Samantha finally relents and Felicity bites the inside of her cheek to stop herself from smiling widely. The mother sighs for a moment, looking down at the floor before she pinches her nose and looks to Oliver. “You’re just a friend of mommy’s, okay? He’s in his room.”

“Thank you,” Oliver tells her and his voice is thick with emotion and appreciation. He steps away towards the door to the kitchen but stops dead when Felicity lets her hand slip out of his. “Aren’t you coming?”

“Later. You need to do this first part on your own.” Felicity smiles softly, stepping up to him once more. She reaches up, framing his face with her hands and he frowns, his hands landing on her waist.

“But… we’re a team. In this and everything.” He reminds her with such an adorably befuddled expression that Felicity cannot help but chuckle.

“Yeah, we are, but this is something you need to do for yourself. I’m not going anywhere. Right here if you need me, okay?” She explains softly, rubbing her thumb across his cheek, watching as he closes his eyes for a moment. He leans in the affection as he takes a deep breath but he nods in understanding when he opens his eyes, smiling nervously.

“Okay. I love you.” He tells her quietly and Felicity grins, rising onto her toes to press a soft and sweet kiss to his lips.

“I love you too.” She answers, smiling as he rubs an affectionate hand over her protruding stomach before he takes a deep breath and heads out of the kitchen. When she turns back to Samantha, it’s to see the woman staring at her with a baffled expression that makes Felicity chuckle. “Yeah, he’s a dork.”

“Sorry, I just never thought I’d see Oliver Queen, domesticated.” Samantha blinks uncomfortably but Felicity merely smiles, shrugging her shoulders.

“As I said earlier, he’s a completely different man to the one you knew.” She reiterates, taking a deep breath as she rubs a hand over her stomach. Her stomach is fluttering nervously, though she doesn’t know if that’s just the first signs of the baby kicking.

To be honest, she thinks it could be both. 

“I can see that, especially when he speaks to you. You’re a wonderful couple.” Samantha admits with a soft smile and Felicity feels a light blush spread across her cheeks.

“Thank you.” She replies with a smile. A beat of silence passes between the two women and Felicity bites the inside of her cheek as awkwardness sinks into the room like the cool autumn breeze. “I suppose I haven’t actually properly introduced myself. Felicity Smoak.”

Samantha chuckles at that, heading towards the kitchen table and gesturing Felicity towards a seat as she takes one herself. “I know who you are. You run Palmer Technologies. I bought William one of your smart watches for kids a few weeks ago.”

“Oh, you did? I hope it helps you both.” Felicity grins as she joins Samantha at the table. The development of Ray’s patented smart watches into one designed specifically for children has been her first big success as CEO of Palmer Tech and she’s really glad to hear that they’re doing well. It makes her frown as she thinks though. If Samantha knows who she is, why didn’t she recognize her when Felicity manufactured their meeting on the sidewalk earlier? “You didn’t recognize me then?”

“No. I’ve really only seen a few pictures and well, I wasn’t exactly expecting you to show up on the sidewalk in front of my house.” Samantha chuckles with a small shrug and a slightly reprimanding look in her eye that makes Felicity flush.

“No, I suppose not.”

“You seem to have quite the life back in Star City.” Samantha states after another moment of silence and Felicity smiles. When she thinks of what she and Oliver have managed to build over the past few months, she cannot stop the pride that rises in her. They’ve come so far, especially when she thinks of where they were last year, and she’s so grateful that she gets to spend her life with such an incredible man by her side.

“We’re finding it. This was an unexpected bump in the road.” Felicity chuckles simply, rubbing a hand over her baby belly. She wouldn’t change being pregnant for the world, the connection she already feels to the small nugget growing with her is like nothing she’s ever known, but it’s no secret that the pregnancy wasn’t exactly planned.

“You’re talking to the one person in the world who can relate.” Samantha quips with a smirk and Felicity finds herself laughing.

“I suppose I am.” She retorts with a grin. She notices, however, that Samantha’s smile falls quickly, glancing down at her hands which are wringing uncomfortably in her lap. Felicity feels her heart ache for the woman across from her. She doesn’t agree with a lot of the things she’s said since they entered the house, but she can empathize with how difficult this whole situation must be for her. “Are you okay?”

“I just… this is a lot. You and Oliver have a life? Well, William and I do too. I’ve worked so hard to get to where I am, to provide a safe and happy home for him. I just don’t want this to ruin how happy a kid he is.” Samantha tells her quietly and Felicity sighs, a small smile coming across her face.

“Your parents are still together?” She cannot resist asking and Samantha frowns as she looks up at her.

“Yes, though I don’t know what that has to do with any of this.” The mother shakes her head, her brow furrowing and Felicity takes a deep breath.

“A lot.” She states simply before adjusting herself in her seat. “My father left when I was seven.”

“Oh, I… I’m sorry,” Samantha answers quickly, though Felicity can tell she’s still unsure as to where she’s going with this. The blonde takes a deep breath. Sharing this is always hard, especially with a stranger, but she hopes she can help Samantha understand a little better through it.

“It’s okay, I’ve come to terms with it as much as I can. The thing is, no matter how much better my mom and I were without him, no matter how many times she told me that it had nothing to do with me, I still feel like it was my fault. I know that objectively it isn’t true, that there were so many other things at play, but there’s still a part of me that feels like I wasn’t good enough for him. And that’s something that has haunted me throughout my entire life. It plays into my confidence at work, my friendships, my relationship with Oliver… What I am saying is that I’m sure you’re doing an incredible job of raising William, but I know from personal experience that not knowing his father is something that he will wonder about for his entire life. It may not affect him as negatively as it has me but it will affect him.”

“He is _happy_.” Samantha insists, her eyes filled with tears and her voice thick. Felicity sighs, nodding her head.

“I’m not denying that in any way. I’m sure you’re an incredible mother. But I had an incredible mother, one of the strongest women I know. And I know I have a personal interest, but Oliver is an incredible man, he’s going to be an amazing father to this baby and I know he could be an equally as amazing father to William.”

She keeps her voice calm and level, a small smile on her face. Samantha takes a deep breath, blinking back the tears and Felicity feels her heart go out to the woman.

“This is going to change everything.” She whispers, looking up at Felicity with fear in her eyes, and the blonde sighs as she nods.

“Yes. But it might just be for the better?”

“He deserves the chance to know him, I know that. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t scare me.” Samantha shrugs, shaking her head as she coughs and reaches up to wipe her eyes.

“I’d think you worse for it if it didn’t.” Felicity chuckles and Samantha does as well, sending an appreciative smile to her which Felicity holds close for a moment.

“How far along are you?” Samantha questions suddenly and Felicity sees her want to move the conversation along.

“Twenty weeks. We were supposed to find out the gender yesterday actually but um… that plan got derailed when work called us here.” She explains, her hand wandering to her stomach again as she chooses her words carefully.

The last thing they need right now is for Samantha to find out about Oliver’s green secret.

“Your work?” Samantha asks, tilting her head in question, and Felicity freezes for a moment, forcing herself to think.

“Yes, I had a meeting with an… investor I had to attend. Oliver asked if he could come with me seeing as his campaign has been a bit of a whirlwind since it began.” She lies through her teeth, hoping she’s covering it up on her face well. She’s never been a good liar but keeping Oliver’s secret has forced her to get better at it.

“And you’ve had the meeting?”

“Oh yes, it was yesterday, I’m hopeful things will turn out well.” She adds, blinking in relief as she can finally tell the truth.

“Well, I hope so too.” Samantha smiles warmly and thankfully, at that moment, Felicity is relieved from any more potentially awkward situations when William rushes into the kitchen in a whirlwind of energy. Oliver follows behind, a wide grin on his face. There’s also a disbelieving look to him and Felicity smiles brightly at him.

“Mom! Mom! Your friend is the _best_ at playing superheroes! The Flash still won, of course, but he did a really great Green Arrow!” William babbles excitedly as he skips over towards his mother and Felicity cannot help but grin.

“Green Arrow, huh?” She whispers softly when Oliver comes up next to her, smoothing a hand over her shoulders.

“Hush, you.” He retorts, narrowing his eyes teasingly and Felicity feels her heart lighten as she sees the pain and fear from earlier is almost all gone from his eyes.

“Oh, you’re the clumsy lady.” William suddenly states and Felicity laughs as she realizes he’s talking to her. Oliver sends her an odd look but she just grins, turning to look at the boy with a wide smile.

“William!” Samantha admonishes, sending Felicity an apologetic look over William’s shoulder, but she just waves her off with a chuckle.

“It’s okay. It’s nice to see you again, William, my name’s Felicity.” She introduces herself properly and she feels a jolt through her heart when William smiles a very familiar smile. It’s so odd to see all the ways William is so much like Oliver but Felicity knows that even though she’s barely interacted with this little boy, he already has her whole heart.

“Felicity. That’s a nice name.” William comments sweetly and Felicity’s smile only grows as she tilts her head.

“Thank you. I like yours as well.” She tells him, chuckling when he blushes a little. Oliver’s hand brushes over her shoulders and she glances up at him to see him staring at the two of them with such a wonderous expression. She reaches back and grabs his free hand, squeezing it to reassure him that it’s real and he’s okay.

“Felicity runs the company that made your new watch,” Samantha tells the boy and William’s face lights up in a way Felicity didn’t expect.

“You do? That’s so cool.” He tells her, grinning as he practically bounces on his toes.

“I’m glad you like it.” She smiles warmly at him, feeling him wiggle his way into her heart a little further with every smile and word.

“It’s really awesome. It means I always have a way to call my mom if I need it and the games are really fun too, though I wish Mom would unlock them a bit more often.” William explains with a small pout that has all three adults chuckling.

“You get enough screen time,” Samantha comments softly, running her hand over William’s hair.

“How do you know my mom?” He questions curiously as he regards Felicity. He looks up to Oliver too and Felicity smiles, leaning back into her boyfriend as he answers his son.

“Well, your mom and I knew each other a long time ago when we were both very young. Felicity is my girlfriend.” Oliver explains simply and Felicity catches Samantha’s grateful smile.

“Oh cool. Are you going to come back and play more action figures? You’re really good at it.” William tells them and Oliver chuckles.

“We’d love to if that’s okay with your mom?” He asks, looking towards Samantha. William turns his hopeful eyes on his mom as well and she chuckles, reaching out to brush William’s hair back from his face.

“I’m sure we can work something out.” She answers softly and Felicity squeezes Oliver’s hand as he lets out a sigh of relief.

This certainly wasn’t what they were expecting from their visit to Central City and it adds a whole other level to their already extremely complicated lives, but looking at William, Felicity knows that it’s one they’ll do anything to make work.

* * *

The next few days pass in a total whirlwind.

They find a way to stop Savage, saving both Kendra and Carter and the population of Central City. Oliver thinks they should just stop participating in any adventure with Barry; it always seems to blow his world view out of proportion.

Immortals and reincarnated soulmates with actual wings.

It’s odd how that actually wasn’t the biggest revelation of the trip though.

Oliver has a nine-year-old son. A son who is funny and sweet and kind who he had no idea even existed. He can’t believe it.

William is wonderful and Oliver is so grateful to Samantha for allowing him to spend the time with him and to Felicity for sticking by his side through all of it. He’s really not sure he’d have been able to handle it without her there.

And they’ve still got a long way to go but Oliver is optimistic about what the future might bring.

Which is why his mind is on the ring stashed in the bowl of marbles on the coffee table as he and Felicity finally arrive back at the loft.

“That was quite the adventure, huh?” Felicity comments with a long sigh as they step inside. Both of them wince at the shards of glass still scattered everywhere around the apartment from where Savage burst in through their windows.

“You’re telling me.” Oliver sighs as he sinks into the couch with a groan. He chuckles as he watches Felicity kick away the glass in front of the couch and around the coffee table.

“Lord, it’s a mess in here.” She bemoans, looking around the place and Oliver smiles.

“We can deal with it later.” He tells her softly, extending a hand out towards her to encourage her to join him on the couch.

Felicity, however, turns to look at him in amused shock, a teasing eyebrow raised as she tries to keep the smirk off of her face. “Oh I’m sorry, did I just hear neat freak Oliver Queen tell me that we could deal with a mess later?”

“Yes, you brat. Now come over here.” Oliver laughs, rolling his eyes affectionately. He smiles as Felicity’s smirk softens into a smile too. She makes her way over to him and Oliver moves over slightly so that she can settle in the corner of the couch, her legs draped over his and their arms tangling around each other.

Oliver bends to rest his head on her shoulder, sighing contently as her hands slip into his hair.

“It’s been a crazy few days,” Felicity whispers softly and Oliver nods against her skin.

“It has. I cannot tell you how glad I am to have you by my side through this.” He tells her gently, tilting his head to look into her eyes and she melts, smiling affectionately at him.

“Nowhere else I’d rather be, my love.” She promises and Oliver leans into the words. He knows how deeply she means it and that makes it so much more meaningful. “How are you doing?”

Oliver sighs as he thinks of how to even begin to answer that question. There are so many thoughts swimming in his head and decoding any of them fills like a minefield.

“I… I just can’t believe I’ve had a son for the past nine years and I didn’t know.” He whispers, still finding it so odd to even speak the words. Felicity’s fingers continue to rake soothingly through his hair and Oliver allows himself the comfort that brings.

“I don’t think anyone could expect you to be okay with that right away, Oliver.” Felicity reminds him kindly and Oliver smiles gently for a moment, nodding his head.

“No, I know, I just… I’ve been so excited about becoming a dad and turns out, I already am one.” He snorts, reaching out to gently caress where their baby is growing within her, and Felicity smiles at him.

“Like the most startling baby shower present ever.” She comments, bringing her usual levity, making Oliver chuckle.

“I just… I know we talked about this but I haven’t exactly had the best example of parenting. Finding out what my mom did to Samantha, to send her away, to hide my son from me… it makes me realize just how true that is.” Oliver sighs, his eyes on his fingers on her stomach. He looks up when Felicity gently nudges his chin in encouragement to see her smiling at him softly.

“Oliver, we aren’t our parents. If I was, I’d either be a waitress in Vegas or a criminal… well, one of the actual bad guy criminals.” She tells him, that crinkle appearing as she realizes what she’s said, immediately making Oliver smile.

“Important distinction.” Oliver chuckles, feeling his heart glow with appreciation for how easy she makes everything.

“Very important.” She comments with narrowed eyes and Oliver smiles. “What I mean is, you don’t think I’m going to be a bad mother because of my father or my rocky relationship with my mom, do you?”

“Of course not. I know you’re going to be the most amazing mother.” Oliver tells her truthfully, entwining their hands and bringing them up to his lips to kiss her knuckles.

“And you know that just like I know that you already are an incredible father.” Felicity counters with just as much honestly, causing Oliver to sigh.

“Felicity, I’ve missed nine years of my son’s life.” He reminds her with a shake of his head but Felicity merely shakes hers in response, untangling their hands to clasp his face in her hands.

“You didn’t know he existed, Oliver. That’s not on you. And your actions over the days since you found out about him only strengthen my thoughts on the matter. You are a great dad and you’re going to prove that to both William and this little nugget here.”

She guides his hand back to their baby as she finishes and Oliver sighs, his heart feeling heavy with the weight of his affection for her.

What did he do to deserve her? He doesn’t know but he knows he doesn’t want to wait another moment to show her how appreciative he is of her. “I don’t know where I’d be without you.”

“You’ll never have to find out.” She tells him and with that, Oliver knows that he needs to do this, _now._ He knows he might be acting impulsively but he’s been trying to find the right time for months now. Maybe that’s just it. There won’t be a right moment but the two of them can handle it all, so long as they’re together. “Oliver?”

Felicity stares at him confusedly as he gently extracts himself from under her legs and stands, heading to the coffee table. He digs around in the bowl until he finds the ring, taking a deep breath to calm his heart as it threatens to beat out of his chest.

“You’re freaking me out. What is… is that?” Felicity’s eyes widen as he turns back around to her. She zeroes in on the ring and goes to speak again, but Oliver just chuckles as he steps back towards the couch.

“You going to let me talk?” He questions with an affectionate smirk and Felicity blushes, looking up at him guiltily.

“Yes, sorry.” She tells him bashfully and Oliver chuckles, reaching for her hand with his free one. He sends her a wink as he squeezes it to reassure her that he’s not actually mad and she smiles up at him, tears already forming in her eyes.

“Felicity… I’ve known for so long that I wanted you to wear this ring. There is no one who has stood by me like you, no one who has inspired me to be a better man more than you have. You’re the one who lights my way, you guide me through the dark. I love you more than words can even begin to express and if you’re willing, I want to spend the rest of my life with you by my side.”

Once Oliver starts speaking, the words come easily. Expressing how he feels for Felicity is one of the easiest things in the world for him. He loves her so much, she’s everything to him, and his heart flutters nervously as he sinks down to one knee in front of her. Felicity lets out a tearful and disbelieving giggle as he does so and he smiles affectionately at her, with tears forming in his own eyes.

“So… Felicity Megan Smoak, will you make me the happiest man on the face of the earth and say yes to marrying me?”

He can’t stop the ridiculously wide grin that spreads across his face as he asks the question. It feels like years since he first tried to do this back in Ivy Town but he feels far less nervous now. This feels so right.

“Oliver, I… I don’t know what to say,” Felicity answers, her eyes threatening to spill over with the tears in them, and Oliver chuckles.

“I think it’s a yes or no kind of question, honey.” He counters, squeezing their hands, and Felicity chuckles, tilting her head as she looks at him.

There’s an unreadable expression on her face and whilst it scares Oliver a little that she’s not answering his proposal, he forces himself to breathe and let her say what she wants to. 

“Just before I do… oh bad choice of words, um… this isn’t just because of what’s going on, is it?” She questions, an element of fear passing over her face that has Oliver frowning.

“What do you mean?” He asks just as gently, holding tightly to her hand as she scoots forward on the couch so that she’s facing him properly.

“Well, with the baby and then finding out about William… it’s not just about you wanting to provide the life you couldn’t for him for our child, is it?”

Her voice wavers as she speaks and Oliver’s heart breaks at her words. He feels terrible that she would even think that that’s what this is about. His heart constricts painfully at the thought of her thinking this is anything less than his pure love for her.

“Honey… no. I’ve been trying to find the right time to ask you this for _months._ I even tried once.” Oliver tells her vehemently, desperate for her to know just how wrong her fears are.

“You did?” Felicity questions with adorable confusion on her face before understanding dawns over her features. “The souffle.”

“The souffle.” Oliver repeats with a small smile, the tightness and weight on his chest lessening as she smiles a little. “The point is, the reason I want to marry you, is because of you. I know that you and I are going to be a great parenting team, married or unmarried, that doesn’t matter. I want to marry you because I want to show the whole world how much I love you. I want to be able to look at you across a room and tell people ‘that’s my wife’. I want to do all the cliched wedding things, to have to talk your mom down from planning the most extravagant party ever…”

“Well, that one’s a given.” Felicity interrupts his rambling with a tearful giggle and Oliver laughs too, tears of his own sparking as he regards her. He loves her so much with all of his heart and he just wants her to know and believe that.

“Felicity, I want to marry you because I love you. It’s as plain and simple as that. Loving you is the easiest thing I have ever done, it’s as simple to me as breathing.” He tells her simply, untangling their hands so that he can reach up and tuck her blonde curls behind her ear. Felicity sighs, leaning into his hand with a content smile before she opens his eyes and grins at him.

“Yes.” She states simply with the widest grin that lights up her whole face.

“Yes?” Oliver questions hopefully, making sure that he knows what she’s saying.

“Yes, I will marry you.” She confirms and squeals as Oliver surges forward to wrap his arms around her tightly. Holding her in his arms, he knows that everything will be alright in the world and he deftly scoops her up so that he can set her on his lap as he sits back on the couch.

Felicity giggles loudly as he settles her, their gloriously happy expressions softening into affection as their eyes meet. Simultaneously, as if pulled by the force that connects them, they lean in towards one another and meet in a kiss that promises so much.

Oliver feels so light as he kisses his fiancée. His _fiancée._ He’s going to marry Felicity Smoak.

“Oh!” Felicity suddenly gasps, breaking the kiss as her hands fly down to her stomach.

“Are you okay?” Oliver immediately questions, his grip on her loosening into something far more tender.

Felicity’s frown morphs into a teary grin once more, however, as she looks back up at Oliver with her hand still on her stomach. “Yeah, I think someone else is very happy about the news.”

Oliver cottons on to what she’s saying and his eyes blow wide. “You can feel them?” He questions excitedly, his hands moving to her stomach too even though he knows it’s far too early for him to feel it.

“I’ve been feeling something for a few days but with everything going on, I wasn’t sure, but that… our baby’s moving.” Felicity tells him with disbelief mixed with utter joy that Oliver immediately relates to. He cannot believe that he is here with her, their baby growing so beautifully within her, and the two of them _engaged._

He feels like he could float from all the joy.

“God, I love you so much.” He tells her as he surges forward to kiss her. Felicity responds in kind with just as much enthusiasm and Oliver sighs into the kiss, feeling utterly content.

“I love you with all my heart, forever,” Felicity tells him when they pull apart, her eyes shining with tears and such heartfelt candor that Oliver feels his own tears reappearing.

“Forever,” Oliver promises as he gently grasps her left hand and slides the ring onto her fourth finger. It looks so perfect, as if it were made for her and Oliver smiles up at her for a moment before laughing when she squeals as he scoops her into his arms and carries her towards the stairs and their bedroom.

* * *

The next day finds them in the waiting room at the OBGYN department of Starling General. Felicity is extremely excited about what the appointment is going to tell them. She knows that she’ll love their baby no matter what but to find out the gender feels like such a momentous landmark and she’s so excited about it.

This week has been filled with momentous landmarks. Felicity is still surprised by how quickly she’s grown to care for William and she’s so excited to be able to see the boy again and learn more about him.

And then there’s the matter of the ring on her left ring finger.

Felicity cannot believe Oliver proposed. She was truly caught off guard by it. But she is so excited. This is just another step towards building a life together, a life she never thought she would have. The ring feels heavy on her finger, she’s so unused to it, but it’s beautiful.

She feels eyes on them and looks up, smiling at the woman across the room who is smiling affectionately towards them. Following her gaze, Felicity finds she’s actually staring at Oliver who is sporting a rather publicly uncharacteristic bright smile.

“Oliver, everyone’s staring at you smiling.” Felicity chuckles, keeping her voice low in the almost silence of the waiting room. She remains light, however, teasing Oliver far more than she’s trying to reprimand him.

“And? I’m allowed to be happy that we’re here.” Oliver shrugs, turning that bright smile onto her as he looks at her, and Felicity chuckles. He’s been practically floating all morning. They celebrated their engagement in the way only they know how well into the night and again this morning for a good few hours, but since they got up to get ready for the appointment, Oliver’s been thrumming with excitement.

It’s adorable.

Felicity loves him so much.

“People are going to think your mouth is stuck like that.” She quips, poking him in the side teasingly and he laughs, shaking his head as he jokingly narrows his eyes at her.

“Don’t rain on my parade. Nothing can rain on my parade today.” He states simply, pressing towards her until their noses are touching.

“Felicity Smoak?”

They both jump at the sound of her name, turning to see the health care assistant looking around the room.

“That’s us!” Oliver calls as he practically jumps from his seat, turning to help her stand with his usual fuss. Felicity chuckles, following him over to the assistant and into the room she leads them into.

“Hi.” Felicity smiles at the woman who is clearly trying to hide her amusement over Oliver’s clear excitement.

“Hi, Felicity. The father, I assume?” She greets, turning to Oliver and offering her hand.

“Yes, hi. I’m Oliver Queen. Felicity’s fiancé.” Oliver introduces himself and shakes her hand. There’s clear pride in his voice as he uses his new title and Felicity melts at the sound of the word and his pride. It makes it feel all the more real.

They haven’t called anyone just yet with the news of their engagement. Everyone is gathering at their apartment for dinner tonight to hear the results of the appointment anyway so they figured they may as well enjoy their bubble for now and tell them all the good news at once.

“Pleasure to meet you. I’m Stacy. Doctor Schwartz will be through in a moment. If you just want to hop up on the bed and we’ll get you all set up.” Stacy tells them with a smile, gesturing to the medical bed.

“You okay?” Oliver immediately questions as Felicity makes her way over. His hands begin to hover as if trying to help her before she even gets there.

“Oliver, it’s less than three feet off the ground. I’m fine.” Felicity tells him with a chuckle, looking over at Stacy to see her smiling amusedly at the two of them as Felicity pulls herself up onto the bed.

“Alright. The doctor will be with you in a minute. Just let me know if you need anything.” Stacy smiles, looking between them, and Felicity smiles at her appreciatively.

“Thank you.” Oliver grins as she leaves. He then helps Felicity get comfortable on the bed before settling on the stall next to it, reaching for her hand and pressing a kiss to her knuckles.

“Alright, are we ready in here?”

There’s a knock on the door and then Doctor Schwartz’s head appears around the door with a smile.

“Morning, Doctor Schwartz.” Felicity smiles at her and the doctor smiles back as she enters the room and closes the door behind her.

“Morning, Felicity, Oliver. Nice to see you both.” She greets, nodding towards Oliver.

“Thank you so much for seeing us. We know it’s not generally your area of expertise.” Oliver thanks her in a similar way as he did at their first appointment. Felicity is very grateful that the doctor Oliver trusts agreed to deal with their pregnancy as well and she told them at their first appointment that she is actually also qualified in obstetrics so they have nothing to worry about.

“I understand that it’s hard for you to trust people, Oliver, and I’m very happy to help.” Doctor Schwartz smiles at them before she moves towards the equipment and screen, setting herself up. “Alright, shall we have a look at how this little one is getting on?”

“Definitely.” Oliver grins excitedly and Felicity laughs, pulling her shirt up and her leggings down slightly. The ultrasound gel goes on easily, at a perfect temperature and both Oliver and Felicity lock their eyes on the screen as Doctor Schwartz starts to use the wand.

“Here we go.” The doctor states needlessly as the image settles on the screen, revealing the image of their baby.

Felicity immediately gasps. They’re so much bigger than they were at the first appointment, they look so much more like a baby. Even though the grainy image, Felicity is astounded by how beautiful they are and her eyes immediately fill with tears. “Oh my goodness. Oliver, look! They’ve gotten so much bigger!”

“I’m looking.” Oliver comments, his voice thick with emotion and Felicity glances at him for just a moment to see that he is crying.

“Oh, honey.” Felicity sighs contently, squeezing his hand before her eyes snap back to the screen, physically incapable of looking away from the image of their child for too long.

“Where are we on knowing the gender?” Doctor Schwartz asks, smiling softly at them and Oliver and Felicity share a look before they both nod enthusiastically.

“Yes please.” Felicity states simply and Doctor Schwartz chuckles.

“Never been great with surprises,” Oliver adds with a grin and another kiss to Felicity’s knuckles. Doctor Schwartz laughs, nodding her head before she moves the wand a little before grinning.

“Okay, well looks like your little nugget is playing ball. She’s in the perfect position.”

“She?” Felicity immediately squeaks, her eyes widening at the sound of the pronoun.

“She.” Doctor Schwartz confirms with a smile and Felicity squeezes Oliver’s hand tightly at the concept of yet more monumental news.

A girl.

They’re having a girl.

William is getting a sister.

“Oh my…” Oliver chokes out, his eyes stuck on the screen and Felicity feels exactly the same. She cannot believe it, her heart is filled with so much joy. “We’re having a baby girl.”

“Yeah, we are.” Felicity grins, turning to look at Oliver, feeling her tears spill over as he bends next to the bed.

“Hi, Leora.” He whispers to her bump, pressing a kiss to a spot where the gel hasn’t been spread. Felicity squeezes his hand tightly as her heart threatens to explode at the adorable sight.

Leora.

It’s real now. Their baby girl, Leora, is almost halfway grown.

Felicity cannot wait to meet her.

“Shall we try and listen to little Leora’s heartbeat?” Doctor Schwartz asks after a moment and Felicity nods her head, swallowing thickly at the thought of this moment getting any more perfect.

But then it does exactly that.

After a few moments of movement from Doctor Schwartz, the silent room is filled with the steady sound of a heartbeat.

That’s their baby girl. Her heart.

“Oh my.” Felicity sighs, unable to stop the tears as she full out starts sobbing.

“We did that,” Oliver whispers from next to her, bending to kiss her gently and Felicity grins as they pull away.

“Yeah, we did.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oliver and Felicity share their news with their friends and the situation with Darhk begins to heat up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone. I can only apologise for how long it's been since I've updated this story but I hope you're still around and interested with where this story is going! If you enjoy and are so inclined, I'd love for you to let me know by leaving a kudos and/or comment, they really do make my day! 
> 
> This chapter uses some dialogue lifted from 4x09 directly and I, therefore, do not claim credit for any of that! 
> 
> TRIGGER WARNING: This chapter and the next cover the events of 4x09 and therefore, are heavy on the angst and violence. This is NOT a story that will be dealing with miscarriage, loss of a baby, or major character death that's not canon (that would've been tagged from the beginning). Just please be aware as you read the next few chapters that it is not all fluff and there are some dangerous situations that are canon-compliant with the addition of the pregnancy.

**_Please read the trigger warning in the author's note before you proceed!_ **

The sun rises over the newly named Star City, painting the metropolis of dazzling glass and brick in an ethereal light, the early winter sun breaking through the chill in the air to bathe the city in gold.

It stretches through the Glades, over the business district and town hall to reach its beams through the windows of the loft where Oliver and Felicity sleep, the former enjoying a lie-in for the first time in months.

The decision came when Oliver woke to the usual sound of his alarm, the light now bathing the city not yet visible. It’s his usual routine; wake before the break of dawn, run to the city’s main park and do the usual laps, come home and shower so that he’s preparing breakfast by the time Felicity pads down the stairs, bleary-eyed and still half-asleep.

This morning, however, he couldn’t bring himself to leave the bed, not with Felicity looking as peaceful as she does next to him, her belly rounded with their _daughter_ nestled safely within her. It’s a sight he can’t bring himself to leave and he finds himself, curling up next to her once more, allowing his eyes to slip closed once more before falling back into dreams of William running around with a sweet little blonde, blue-eyed toddler… _Leora._

When he wakes again, it’s to the sun streaming in beneath the drapes and Felicity wriggling in his arms. A warm smile spreads across his face as he realizes that she’s still asleep, but is simply cuddling closer to him whilst still in the realm of Hypnos. He wraps the arm that is draped over her tighter around her and slides closer to her himself, his nose nuzzling against the soft spot between her neck and shoulder. Her soft hair slips across the skin of his face, like a gentle blanket protecting him from fully entering the world of the living, and he hums softly, total contentment settling within his bones.

His hand slips lower where his arm is wrapped around her, sinking to settle over where the grey t-shirt she’s worn to bed (one of Oliver’s old ones that she absconded with years ago) is stretched over the round of her stomach. It’s so interesting to him how much more _real_ it seems now that they know it’s Leora in there. He’s felt a connection to her since Felicity told him she was pregnant but to know for certain that they’re having a girl… it makes it seem so much more real.

He knows he would’ve been happy either way. It’s a little piece of he and Felicity that’s growing into a whole human… he’s going to love that baby no matter how she looks, but it’s so much easier to visualize now. He can’t say, however, that he wasn’t secretly hoping for a girl, especially after learning about William. The idea of a mini-Felicity is just too enticing to pass up, all blonde curls and blue eyes and sweet ramblings.

He cannot wait to meet her.

For now, however, he’ll revel in the feeling of holding his pregnant _fiancée_ in his arms.

Felicity said yes, they’re getting married, he’s going to be able to call her his _wife…_ it’s more joy than Oliver could have ever imagined. He loves her so much and he’s so excited to get to see her walk down the aisle to him someday soon.

“Hmm, morning.”

Oliver’s smile only grows at the sound of Felicity’s voice, soft and laden with the sleep she’s just arising from. He lifts his head to watch her awaken, her brow furrowing as her eyes open and attempt to adjust to the light without her glasses. Gently removing the hand that’s not resting over Leora from behind her head, he reaches over to the nightstand and grabs her glasses, gaining an appreciative hum as she slides them onto her face.

“Good morning,” Oliver smiles softly, using his now free arm to prop himself up slightly before bending down to smatter a series of soft kisses across Felicity’s face, the final one landing on her mouth. She giggles softly, her tone still bleary as she adapts to the light of day, but she smiles as she curls into him, one of her hands falling to interlace with his fingers where they rest over their child.

“I’m not used to waking up with you,” Felicity comments softly, turning her head to smile at Oliver teasingly and he chuckles, unable to resist bending to kiss her neck a few more times. She just looks so beautiful bathed in the morning light that’s creeping through their curtains and he cannot help himself.

“Well, I thought I’d spend a lazy morning with my fiancée before we need to head to the bay later,” He explains just as gently, mumbling into her skin and he feels Felicity’s demeanor change as he refers to her as his fiancée. It’s technically been over a day since he proposed, and he doesn’t think he’ll ever be over the novelty of it to be honest.

“Right. We also need to tell everyone about the fiancée thing,” Felicity reminds him with a small smile over her shoulder, her eyes sparkling with mirth in the early morning light. Oliver chuckles at her wording, pulling a fake quizzical expression.

“Oh, you mean the fact that we’re going to be married and I’m going to be able to call you my wife for the rest of my life, that _fiancée thing?”_ Oliver poses with a smirk and Felicity chuckles.

“I think that’s the one,” She counters with a teasing grin and Oliver shakes his head amusedly.

“Incorrigible,” He scoffs, dancing his fingers up her side and delighting in the giggle he elicits from her throat. It’s carefree and lilting and everything he loves about her all rolled into one. “Alright then, how about I jump in the shower whilst you invite everyone over for breakfast and we can drop both pieces of news on them there?”

He poses the plan with a gentle smile, his hand flattening over her baby bump, but is taken aback when he’s suddenly pushed back against the sheets and Felicity swings a leg over his to straddle him. His hands instinctively fall to her thighs before sliding up and coming to rest over Leora once more, bending practically in half to press a kiss to Felicity’s baby bump.

“Counter plan. You wait two seconds whilst I send out a mass text and we shower together?” Felicity hums with a small smirk once Oliver straightens back out and falls against the pillows once more. She wriggles a little on his lap and Oliver’s hands fall to her hips as he begins to react to the feeling of her pressed up so close again him. He groans at her suggestion, his mind already filling with images of her wet skin against his own.

“Hmm, have I ever told you that you have the best ideas?” He questions a little breathlessly, sitting up again to lean into her lips, hovering inches away from them.

“You may have mentioned it once or twice,” Felicity responds coyly with a small smirk, bending to close the minuscule gap between the two of them.

Oliver groans as his lips slide against Felicity’s, the inescapable feeling of pure bliss sinking into his entire being. He grips her hips as she gently presses down into his lap, finding a familiar rhythm that still sets Oliver’s entire body alight.

All of a sudden, however, Felicity pulls away, a gasp sounding through the room as she sits back against his thighs and her hands fly to her bump, “Oh!”

“You okay?” Oliver questions with a frown, immediately reaching to place his hands over her own as worry replaces the arousal that was sinking through him.

“Yeah, she’s just dancing around like a little parkour artist in there,” Felicity smiles, looking up at Oliver with happiness glowing in her eyes. Oliver sighs in relief, smiling as he thinks of how incredible it must feel to be able to feel their baby within her. He knows that at 21 weeks, she’s still able to somersault around in there like a little gymnast and according to Felicity, she’s been taking full advantage of that.

“She is?” He questions in wonder, his hand slipping to the side of Felicity’s to press against the fabric of the t-shirt himself. He knows that he won’t be able to feel it, but it doesn’t stop him from trying.

“It’s still not strong enough for you to feel it, my love,” Felicity reminds him gently, one of her hands moving to cup his chin with her hand and Oliver smiles.

“I know… soon?” He questions, knowing that he’s right and that he’ll be able to feel her soon but he’s just so ready for that day to be here already.

“Soon. She’ll get feistier,” Felicity smiles warmly down at him, her thumb rubbing smoothly over his cheek and Oliver sighs contently as he leans into it.

“Just like her mama,” Oliver counters with a smirk, it turning into a laugh when Felicity playfully pushes against his shoulder.

“Funny,” She huffs dryly but the wide smile on her face gives away her true reaction. Oliver misses her warmth as she swings off of him, rolling back towards her side of the bed to grab her phone from the nightstand and fire off what Oliver assumes is the text to their friends and family. “Text sent.”

“Well then, I suppose we’re heading for the shower,” Oliver smirks, sidling up close to her again and pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

“That is the promise you made,” Felicity hums, leaning back against his chest and Oliver smirks at the way her back arches as he gently runs his hand along the side of her breast.

“C’mere,” He grins as he spins out of the bed, tugging her gently to help her up before he lifts her into his arms. She squeals loudly but it turns into giggles as he walks her through to the bathroom, her baby bump safe between the two of them.

* * *

Felicity hums contently as she makes her way over to the door after the first knock. She and Oliver spent longer in the shower than was at all necessary but she feels more relaxed than she has in a while after three orgasms and Oliver insisting on being the one to wash her body and hair when they were done. She’s still floating on a blissful high from the engagement and finding out that they’re having a little girl and this perfect morning has just made it all the more blissful. She’s a little wont to pop the bubble and allow others in but she also knows that their friends and family are going to be nothing but happy for them.

She just hopes her mom is the first one to spot the ring so that she can win the bet she made with Oliver.

“Good morning!” Thea grins as Felicity opens the door, looking more awake than Felicity feels in her fashionable outfit and excited stance. Felicity chuckles as she suddenly lurches forward and pulls Felicity into a hug, the two of them swaying in the doorway.

“Morning, Thea,” She smiles as they pull apart, stepping aside to allow Thea to enter the loft before she shuts the door behind her.

“Hi Speedy,” Oliver calls from the kitchen where he’s in the process of cooking up breakfast for everyone. Felicity looks over at him with an appreciative smirk, there’s just something about him in the kitchen that is entirely too attractive for her increased hormones to handle.

“Did you find out? Please tell me you did! Not that it matters, I’m going to love that little nugget no matter what, but I’m dying to know!” Thea squeals excitedly, looking between the two of them with a hopeful expression and Felicity laughs, her excitement contagious.

“We did find out, but we’re not telling until everyone gets here,” Oliver tells his sister calmly, but the warm smile on his face negates the reprimanding tone of his voice.

“Ugh, you’re no fun,” Thea huffs and Felicity chuckles just as there’s another knock at the door.

“Morning!” Her mother calls as she tugs it open and Felicity grins as she’s pulled into a hug by Donna. It’s her mother’s classic, tight and suffocating, but Felicity melts into it.

“Hi Mom,” She greets with a smile, nuzzling a little into her neck. It’s funny, she hadn’t wanted her mom to visit when she arrived weeks ago but having her here through the pregnancy really has been a godsend for Felicity’s mental health. There’s just something about having your mom around when you’re becoming a mom yourself.

“How are you, my sweet girl?” Donna questions, her hands moving to cup Felicity’s face in her palms and Felicity smiles, preening a little under the attention of her mother. Donna can be totally overwhelming at times but Felicity has to admit that her presence has been what she needs these past few weeks to keep her calm.

“I’m wonderful,” Felicity answers truthfully, knowing that things seem to be finally falling into place. Sure, Darhk and the Ghosts are still a huge worry, and they need to find out what’s going to happen with Andy and his allegiance to Darhk, but with their next visit with William already arranged, the ring on her finger, and the confirmation that their baby girl is safe and growing healthily, Felicity can’t find it within herself to be too worried.

“You’re practically glowing,” Donna smiles, caressing Felicity’s cheek for a long moment before the younger blonde blushes and they both step back into the apartment.

“Hi Donna,” Oliver calls from the kitchen, a bright smile on his face. It makes Felicity so happy to know how well Oliver gets on with her mom. She knows that she can be a lot but considering she’s the only parent they’ve got left between the two of them, seeing them love each other as much as they do is truly beautiful.

“Oliver, look at you. You paint such a handsome picture by that stove,” Donna comments in her usual way, smiling warmly at Thea and pulling the younger woman into a motherly hug.

“Well thank you, can I offer you a coffee?” Oliver blushes a little but Felicity can tell he does like the attention of her mother.

“I’d love one,” Donna replies with a warm smile as Thea leads her over to sit down in one of the seats at the dining table.

“Me too!” Felicity calls out, not wanting to miss out on the one cup of coffee she’s allowed in a day. She loves Leora a whole lot, but giving up on her caffeine addiction has been one of the hardest parts of pregnancy.

“I know, honey,” Oliver chuckles, leveling her with an affectionate look that Felicity just shrugs in response to. She knows he knows how important she considers that mug of coffee to be. “Thea?”

“Oh no, I’m good. I grabbed one earlier. I’ll take a water though,” The brunette smiles at her brother before she goes back to chatting to Donna about what she’s been up to at the campaign office.

“Of course,” Oliver smiles and moves to prepare the drinks just as there’s another knock on the door.

Felicity is totally elated when she opens it to reveal not only John but baby Sara, looking every bit as adorable as she always is in her little grey knitted dress and boots. The little girl’s face lights up at the sight of Felicity and she immediately wriggles in John’s arms, reaching out for Felicity.

“Hi baby girl!” She grins as she takes her into her arms, grinning at the way she immediately wraps her arms tight around her neck and hugs her tight. She loves this little munchkin so much and she doesn’t see nearly enough of her.

“Aun’ ‘Lic’ty!” Sara exclaims in her sweet little voice and Felicity could swear her heart melts at the sound of it.

“Hi Felicity, I’m fine, thank you for asking, how are you? Oh, you’re good, that’s so good to hear,” John speaks sarcastically as he enters the apartment behind her and Sara but the affectionate smile on his face as he looks at the two of them negates the annoyance implied by his words.

“Hi John,” Felicity grins up at her friend, bouncing Sara a little as she settles her on her hip.

“Hi,” John chuckles, bending to kiss her cheek in greeting and Felicity reciprocates, squeezing his arm affectionately.

“Is that my favorite little nugget, Miss Sara? You probably don’t remember me, huh? Oh, she’s gotten so big!” Donna immediately flutters over from the table, appearing next to Felicity and fawning over the little girl who clearly doesn’t recognize Donna but preens under the attention.

“She’s almost eighteen months,” John informs Donna with the proud smile only a father can muster and Donna gasps loudly and dramatically, reaching out to softly cup Sara’s cheek.

“She is _not!_ My goodness, you’re such a big girl, huh?” Donna coos, taking Sara when she reaches out towards her, clearly elated at having her arms full of the toddler.

“Good morning,” Laurel comments as she knocks on the open door, walking through it with a warm smile and Felicity smiles warmly at her friend.

“Hi Laurel,” She greets affectionately, moving to invite her properly inside and shut the door behind her.

“Coffee, Laurel?” Oliver offers with a welcoming smile and the taller blonde smiles as she sheds her coat, placing it carefully on the stand by the door.

“Please,” She confirms warmly back to her teammate before she makes her way over to where Thea is sat at the table, accepting the brunette’s light hug in greeting.

“John?” Oliver offers, moving to help him sort out Sara’s chair so that Donna can wrangle the toddler into it.

“I’d love one, thanks man,” The tall man confirms and follows Oliver back to the kitchen to help him carry the food and drinks through as everyone else settles around the table.

Felicity smiles as Oliver slips into the seat next to her, his hand slipping into hers under the table to squeeze it comfortingly and she smiles, relaxing as his touch removes all the nervous jitters from her bones. She knows everyone here will be happy for them, so she’s not too sure why she’s nervous, but the idea of such a big announcement has her a little apprehensive.

“So, do we get to know the sex of the baby now?” Thea questions after everyone is settled down, bouncing a little in her seat as she looks around at all of them.

“Don’t you want some food, Speedy?” Oliver chuckles with an affectionate smile, shaking his head at her antics even though Felicity can tell he loves how excited she is about the whole thing.

There’s a little sadness there too and Felicity knows it’s because he knows how much Thea would adore learning that she’s actually an aunt already but under the terms of Samantha’s agreement, that’s not possible just yet.

Thea huffs and reaches for a rasher of bacon from the plate before her, stuffing it in her mouth and turning to look at Oliver with an unimpressed expression, “ _Mow?”_

“You really never did get more patient, did you?” Oliver snorts with a roll of his eyes as everyone around the table interrupts into laughter, clearly amused by the siblings’ bantering.

“I’m excited, Oliver!” Thea huffs, her annoyance clearly growing and Felicity smiles, squeezing Oliver’s hand before she smiles over at her sister-in-law-to-be.

“Okay, okay, we’re having a girl,” Felicity announces simply, unable to resist smiling happily over at Oliver as the table erupts into noise and squeals, mostly coming from Thea and Donna.

“A girl!”

“Oh my!”

“Congrats guys, that’s wonderful,” John smiles over at them, gently brushing a hand over Sara’s head as she looks around perplexed at what’s going on.

“Little Leora, oh, I’m so happy I could burst!” Donna squeals where she’s bouncing in her seat and Felicity chuckles, smiling warmly over at her. Her enthusiasm is contagious and Felicity finds herself growing a little giddy herself.

“That’s great news, congrats,” Laurel tells them from across the table, a genuine smile on her face and Felicity smiles, nodding her head in thanks.

“Thank you, Laurel,” She replies, reaching over to squeeze her hand when she holds it out.

The movement knocks the glass of water before her over and Felicity is quick to rush and catch it before it spills all over the food and ruins the breakfast. Oliver’s hand moves too, wrapping around the glass before her own does, and hers lands on top of his, the two of them sharing a relieved look.

They both jump, however, when a piercing scream erupts from the other end of the table and Felicity looks over to see her mother staring down at her left hand, total shock and elation written all over her face.

“Oh my! Oh my! Oh my!” Donna screams as everyone else around the table looks at each other in confusion, totally baffled by the sudden burst from the woman.

“What?”

“What’s happening?”

“Either I need to get my eyes checked or that is a _diamond_ on your ring finger, Felicity Megan Smoak!” Donna screams as she stands from her seat, her mouth dropping open as she points towards Felicity’s hand. Everyone else gasps as Felicity smiles and turns to Oliver, holding her right hand out.

“Pay up,” She smirks, beckoning her fingers in a ‘gimme’ motion and Oliver huffs as he reaches into his pocket for his wallet.

“Damn it, Speedy,” He groans as he pulls twenty bucks from the leather pouch and hands it over to Felicity who tucks it into her jeans pocket with a proud nod.

“What did I do?” Thea questions with a frown, clearly indignant at the thought of having done something wrong.

“He thought you’d notice first. He clearly has no faith in my mother,” Felicity explains with a chuckle, running her fingers through her hair with a shrug and a teasing smirk.

“Shut it, you,” Oliver snorts, poking his finger into her side, making Felicity giggle a little before her expression softens when she notices the loving look Oliver is staring at her with.

“You’re engaged?” Laurel questions to confirm, looking between the two of them with total delight on her face and Felicity grins, nodding her head.

“We are. Oliver proposed the night we got back from Central City,” She confirms, sliding her right hand back into Oliver’s beneath the table. She smiles when he lifts them, looping them over her head to pull her into his side and she leans into the soft kiss he presses to her temple.

“How _romantic!_ Let me see the ring!” Donna squeals as she appears at Felicity’s side, tugging her left hand up from the table to stare at it and grin.

“It was my mother’s,” Oliver explains with a gentle smile and Felicity notes the look he shares with Thea. She asked when he gave her the ring if Thea was okay with her having their mother’s ring considering it could be hers. He told her that it was a conversation they had months ago and Thea is truly very happy for Felicity to have it because she knows how happy it would have made their mom. (Felicity herself is not too sure about that one, her relationship with Moira having always been rather rocky, but it’s sweet of Thea nonetheless).

“It’s stunning!” Donna squeals and Felicity smiles, leaning into the embrace when she leans down to press a kiss to her cheek and hug her tight to her.

“Congratulations guys, I’m so happy for you both,” John smiles warmly over at them when Donna finally releases her and Felicity grins, a feeling of family and love thrumming in the room.

“Thank you, John, it means a lot,” Felicity smiles warmly at him and he tilts his head, that familiar big brotherly expression crossing his face. It’s the way he’s looked at her since she ran into the Foundry, asking for his help to drag an unconscious and bleeding Oliver out the back of her Mini Cooper and it always makes Felicity feel so safe.

“Always, Smoak,” He winks at her and Felicity grins, sinking into Oliver when he presses a kiss to her cheek.

“’ancakes!” Sara suddenly calls out, a pout covering her sweet face as she looks at the large stack of pancakes that have been sat in front of her for the past five minutes whilst all the adults around her have been talking. She’s been incredibly patient but it appears she’s reached the end of her tether as she reaches out from her special seat, trying to get her hands on the fluffy breakfast food before her.

Felicity laughs along with her friends, her expression softening when Oliver drops a kiss to the top of her head before he stands and makes his way over to the little girl.

“Right you are, Miss Sara, no one’s concentrating on their pancakes, are they?” Oliver coos to the toddler, reaching for her plastic plate and piling a couple of pancakes onto it. He sets about cutting them up into pieces she can eat and Felicity watches the process with a soft smile, unable to stop her hand drifting down to rest over her baby bump as she imagines a similar domestic scene with a baby girl who looks like them.

“’ancakes!” Sara repeats excitedly, looking at Oliver as if he’s hung the moon in her sky and Felicity honestly feels like her heart might melt from all the adorableness.

“What would you like? Syrup? Strawberries? Oh _and_ whipped cream, what does Daddy say about that one?” Oliver questions as Sara points to all the topics she wants for her pancakes, looking up at John with a raised eyebrow when the sugar level starts to rise.

“She’s all good, it’s a special occasion after all,” John confirms with an affectionate smile at his brother, and Oliver nods, grinning himself as he piles the toppings onto the plate.

“’ancakes!” Sara exclaims happily when Oliver places the plate before her, also placing a kiss to the top of her little head, and Felicity chuckles, that familiar feeling of contentment settling within her. This is her family and she’s so grateful for moments like this with them all.

* * *

“Pretty good turnout. Who knew people would rather pick up garbage than celebrate the holidays?”

Oliver smirks from where he’s stood on the beachy front of the bay. There are way more people than he expected dotted about, cleaning up trash and talking to the volunteers and experts about what can be done in the area to boost eco-friendly activity that will benefit the community.

“Not bad for a hippie, crunching campaign proposal, huh?” He cannot help but smirk as he turns to look at Alex, his campaign manager, who was totally unconvinced that this was a good idea.

“Nobody like an ‘I told you so’,” Thea scoffs affectionately from her spot next to Alex, looking up at her big brother with a reprimanding look but Alex is already distracted, looking down at the tablet he holds in his hand.

“Except apparently Star City. Your approval rating is up 10 points,” He comments with an impressed raised eyebrow, and Oliver’s eyes blow wide, totally taken aback by the fact that this is his life now.

“I have an approval rating?” He questions dubiously, looking between his sister and campaign manager curiously, and they both chuckle.

“Yes, yes you do,” Thea smirks, reaching up to affectionately squeeze his arm and he smiles down at her. His morning with Felicity and the following breakfast with their family has put him in such an incredible mood and he’s so happy to be out here watching the community come together to do something for themselves and those around him. He wants to make this city a better place so that by the time Leora is born, she’ll know the city he knew growing up, one full of community and love, rather than the playground for the rich it’s on its way to becoming.

“Welcome to politics, Mr. Queen,” Alex grins, looking up from his tablet with a proud smile and Oliver feels a slightly preening one cover his own face.

“Mr. Queen?” A reporter questions as he slowly approaches and Oliver smiles, adjusting his coat.

“Yes, excuse me,” He tells Thea and Alex before he steps up to talk to the reporter, smiling warmly at the man he recognizes from Star City News.

“How do you feel about inspiring so many people to come out here today?” The reporter questions and Oliver frowns, shaking his head as he looks back towards the beach to see a teenage boy holding a bag open for his younger brother as they work together to tackle a particularly trash ridden spot right by the water.

“Oh, I didn’t inspire anyone. This is the city that I know, it’s the city I remember, and it’s the city that we can be again,” He nods with a small smile, looking back to the camera as he remembers the conversation he had with Thea and Alex earlier.

“Nice. Thank you for your time,” The reporter nods with a smile and Oliver smiles right back, bidding him farewell before he makes his way over to where John is stood, looking around the event with an impressed look on his face.

“Well, you’ve got people picking up garbage when they should be picking up presents. I think you missed your calling,” His brother comments with a teasing smirk and Oliver snorts, shaking his head at his friend’s never failing ability to tease him. He knows that John’s been going through a lot and with everything he’s got going on, he hasn’t really had the chance to talk to him about it, so he leaps at the opportunity of a moment with him now.

“How are you doing with the whole Andy thing?” Oliver questions gently, turning to face John properly as he watches his friend’s expression sink before it’s replaced by one that’s guided by deep thought.

“I have my brother home for the holidays, Oliver. He’s in a cage, but he’s here,” John sighs with a small nod and Oliver nods as well, knowing that everything within John must be so conflicted. All he’s ever wanted is for Andy to be alive and well, and now he is, but it’s so much more complicated than that.

“We’re going to get Andy out from under Darhk’s influence, John. That is a promise,” Oliver tells his brother with conviction and John smiles, nodding his head as he looks back at Oliver with the same determination.

John wanders off to where Thea is now talking to a few supporters and Oliver looks down the length of the beach, smiling when he spots Felicity and Laurel addressing a group of kids. She kindly offered some Palmer Tech resources to help support what they’re doing at the bay and he knows she was planning on talking through how they can use technology to help the plan of restoration.

Suddenly, there’s the sound of gunfire all around and chaos erupts around them. Oliver’s eyes immediately seek Felicity out, the panic within him lessening when he spots her and Laurel herding the kids before them into a safe spot behind a rock. He drops down to his knees to get out of the line of fire, looking around the beach when he suddenly spots one of the little girls from the group wandering towards the water with a curious expression on her face as she stares at the drone where the gunfire is coming from.

Oliver doesn’t even think, he acts purely on instinct, rushing over and pulling the kid down just as the gunfire starts up once again, the bullets narrowly missing her small body as he pulls her down to the sand.

The sound of shots finally stops and Oliver looks up to see Felicity standing from behind the rock, her tablet in hand as she scrutinizes the drone, clearly satisfied she’s done what she needs to as she steps out from the rock. Sirens sound in the distance as the emergency services rush to help and Oliver frowns, looking down at the little girl in his arms.

“Are you okay?” He questions softly, shifting to a kneeling position and helping her to her feet.

“Yes, I’m sorry! Thank you for saving me,” She tells him, her eyes wide and full of fear and Oliver smiles his most reassuring smile at her before a woman appears to sweep her off back to her family.

He looks around at the destruction around him and slumps in resignation.

Darhk and his warning not to go near the bay.

This is his fault.

* * *

Felicity sighs as she makes her way from the elevator to the front door of the loft, tiredness sinking into her bones. She hopes she can get a nap in because this afternoon has really taken it out of her and all she wants to do is curl up with Oliver and maybe some hot cocoa.

“Oh my god, hon, are you okay?” A voice squeals the second she enters the loft and Felicity sinks into the feeling of her mother’s arms wrapping around her and the safety they offer.

“I’m fine, Mom, a little shook up, but I’m okay,” Felicity shakes her head, taking her mother’s hands as they pull back from the hug. She runs a hand through her basically ruined ponytail, looking over at the couch with longing.

“And the baby?” Donna questions, her hands flitting over to where Felicity’s loose t-shirt clings a little over her baby bump. She’s still not that big considering she’s five months along but seeing as Dr. Schwartz assured them that Leora’s healthy, Felicity isn’t complaining. It’s meant they’ve been able to hold off on making the announcement to the public and that means that Darhk doesn’t seem to know yet either.

“She’s fine,” Felicity smiles, rubbing her own hand over the bump as she feels Leora wriggling around in there. Oliver insisted the EMTs look her over before she left the bay but they confirmed that everything looks okay and that she shouldn’t need to go to the hospital unless she thinks there’s something wrong.

“ _She._ Oh, baby, I’m so happy for you,” Donna sighs, her expression melts into one of pure affection and Felicity smiles too, that same happiness from earlier sinking through her.

“Thank you, Mom. I feel so _free_ for the first time in so long,” Felicity sighs, thinking of how pure elation flows through her at the mere thought of what the future holds for her and Oliver. There’s so much more they’ve got to look forward to and she cannot wait for all of it to come.

“You’ve got a good one,” Donna coos and Felicity smiles, the thought of how attentive and just _wonderful_ Oliver has been throughout all of this… she’s just so grateful to have him by her side.

“Don’t I know it,” She sighs contently, smiling happily at her mom. A glimmer of glitter catches her eye however and she frowns, leaning around Donna to spot the plethora of Hanukkah decorations that are littering her living room. “Hang on, why does it look like Jewish Santa Claus threw up in here?”

“For the campaign holiday party! I wanted to make sure that your heritage is properly represented,” Donna explains with a squeal, reaching back to find a loop of blue tinsel that she throws over Felicity’s head with a flourish. Felicity chuckles in bafflement for a moment, honestly surprised that her mother can even still surprise her like this anymore, but she frowns as she looks at all the decorations, the thought of what happened at the bay looming in her mind.

“Yeah, I’m not sure all that is happening still, Mom,” Felicity sighs, picking the loop of tinsel off of her person and wrapping it around her mother instead. Donna freezes for a moment before her face falls, a frown covering her features.

“What? No! It has to! You can’t let those terrorists win, baby! Plus, I was thinking we could make it a dual holiday/engagement party!” Donna tells her in her usual bubbly tone and Felicity sighs, reaching up to run a hand through her hair again. Her mom doesn’t know the half of it and she’s not too sure that she’ll ever be able to fully explain.

“Mom… this is about Oliver’s campaign, not his personal life,” She counters instead, knowing that turning a campaign party into an engagement party might not look the best to voters but her mother seems to have other ideas.

“Sweetheart, you and I both know that in order for him to run a good campaign, some of his personal life has to be public. The city wants someone they can trust. A good fiancé and a father is exactly what he needs to present himself as to win over the people,” Her mother answers with surprising insight as she reaches out to cup Felicity’s cheek and Felicity’s brow furrows.

“Since when are you so into politics?” She questions, never having known her mother to care about anything to do with the city or the democratic process.

“I have layers, Felicity,” Donna frowns, looking at Felicity with a slightly hurt expression and Felicity frowns too for a moment before she’s distracted by the sound of her phone going off.

_Making the announcement, make sure you’re safe. I’ll be home ASAP._

Felicity sighs at the sight of the text from Oliver, knowing that he’s making the right choice but she’s still incredibly nervous about what this might do and the reaction it will elicit from Darhk.

“What’s going on?” Donna questions when she notes the expression on Felicity’s face and the younger blonde bites her lip as she heads over to the TV and switches it on to the news network.

“Oliver’s exposing Darhk to the city,” She answers simply, feeling the nerves rise in her chest and settle there as she watches the cameras zoom in on Oliver as he makes his way over to the press group.

“Isn’t that dangerous?” Donna asks with a gasp and Felicity sighs, nodding her head.

“It’s the only move we’ve got,” She tells her mother simply, both of them falling silently as Oliver begins to speak on the TV.

“Thank you for coming, everyone. Thank you. As today's tragedy has reminded us, we are at war. For 6 months, we have been besieged by a nameless and a faceless organization that seems hell bent on destroying our city. You know them as the Ghosts. And while they may be anonymous, their leader is not. He has a face, he has a name, and I think that it is high time the people of Star City know the truth about who he is. His name is Damien Darhk. He controls the Ghosts on behalf of an organization known as HIVE. HIVE wants this city to die. Now, I will be distributing this, the only known photograph or Mr. Darhk, to every news outlet and social media feed in the country. For months, this man has made us afraid to walk the streets. I suggest that we return the favor. We will also be setting up a hotline. Now, individually, Mr. Darhk may be able to defeat us, but united, he doesn't stand a chance.”

Felicity cannot help the proud smile that spreads across her face as Oliver finishes talking. It’s a step none of them wanted to take, knowing that they open themselves up to retaliation from Darhk but considering the options before them, it’s the only logical step forward that they’ve got. For someone as scared as she knows Oliver was to make that speech, he did a remarkable job and she’s so proud of him.

“Oh wow,” Donna comments from next to her, looking up at the TV with a similar sort of pride all over her face.

“That was quite the statement,” Felicity concurs, a small smile crossing her face.

“Let’s hope it does the job,” Donna smiles sadly, reaching out to squeeze Felicity’s arm soothingly.

“I’m going to go shower, Oliver should be home in a bit,” She tells her mother, knowing that she needs to get out of these clothes and clean up to feel better about what’s happened today.

“Okay, hon. I love you,” Donna smiles as she makes her way back to the decorations and Felicity hums with a smile of her own.

“I love you too, Mom,” She grins, frowning as she notes her mother grinning down at something on her phone before she shakes her head and starts to climb the stairs, the peace a shower will bring on her mind.

* * *

By the time Oliver finally makes it back home, it’s to the sight of Donna and Felicity in the living room, looking like a Hannukah bomb has gone off around them. Donna is sat on the couch, unwrapping what appears to be menorah bunting from the knots it’s tangled itself in, and Felicity is on the floor, legs stretched out before her as she works on something on her tablet. It’s an entirely domestic scene and one Oliver is very grateful for after what happened today. The smile that spreads across Felicity’s face is more than worth the stress that is seeping through every bone of his body as he makes his way over to her and sinks on the floor next to her.

“Why does it look like Hanukkah threw up in here?” He questions quietly after he kisses her in greeting, sinking into the feeling of her lips with a relieved sigh. He knows that making the statement was the right thing to do, but he cannot stop the irrational fear of something happening to Felicity and the baby consuming his every waking thought. It’s too much for him to handle when she’s away from him.

“We’re making sure our faith is properly represented at your holiday party, apparently,” Felicity answers with a small smile as she places her tablet on the coffee table and reaches her arms up in a request for him to help her off the floor. He does so, allowing her to lead him away from her mother and into the kitchen area of the apartment as she busies herself making a drink.

“Ah, I see,” Oliver frowns, looking back over at the decorations littering the apartment with a dubious look. He truly doesn’t know what the best move is, but it doesn’t seem safe right now to be flaunting all his friends and family underneath Darhk’s nose when he’s just publicly outed him as the leader of HIVE.

Felicity clearly catches onto what he’s thinking because she’s at his side in seconds, directing his gaze back onto her with a gentle hand against his cheek that Oliver groans as he nuzzles into.

“I know that face. Sweetheart, this party is important after the statement you just made. If we cancel now, we show the city that Darhk and HIVE are something to be afraid of, something to run from, and that’s not what you want them to think, is it?” She explains logically and Oliver frowns, biting his lip as he realizes just how right she is. It goes against every protective instinct that he has, but he knows that this is about so much more than just them. He’s got the entire population of a city watching him and if he runs and hides now, they’re going to think that’s what they need to do as well, which would totally negate the message he tried to send out with that statement. 

“No, but… I just put a huge target on all of our backs. I couldn’t bear it if something were to happen to you or the baby,” Oliver sighs, looking down to where the round of Felicity’s baby bump sits, safely nestled between them. She’s changed into sweatpants and a tank top and therefore, the material is stretched over her bump, making it far more obvious that she’s pregnant than it is in most of the clothes she wears out.

“We can look after ourselves, Oliver, and I know you’ll look after us too,” Felicity reassures him with a soft smile, her thumb dancing soothingly across his cheek.

“I know you’re right, I just… I don’t know what I’d do if either of you were hurt,” Oliver sighs, looking down at her with a serious expression, his fear lessening a little when she nods, keeping that reassuring and encouraging smile on her face.

She doesn’t need to speak, he knows her well enough to know that she’s trying to show that he has her support no matter what he decides, but he knows that she thinks holding the party is the best route forward.

He’s overwhelmed with a sudden feeling of gratitude for her and he bends to press his lips against hers, smiling when she presses up against him and leans into the kiss with a gentle moan. He’s conscious of the fact that they’re still in Donna’s line of vision and therefore, doesn’t take it any further, but he allows the feeling of home and safety that always comes with Felicity’s kisses to sweep through him.

“I have something for you,” He tells her as they pull away, a small smile spreading across his face as he thinks of the present resting in his jacket pocket.

“For me?” Felicity questions, looking adorably surprised at the concept, and Oliver can’t resist leaning down to peck her lips once more before he pulls the gift wrapped box out to hand over.

“Uh-huh. Now I know that Hanukkah isn’t the most important Jewish holiday or anything but it’s still an important part of your history and culture and I want it to be an important part of our daughter’s history and culture too,” He explains slowly as Felicity unwraps the ribbon from the box and lifts the lid, gasping at the sight of what’s inside.

“Oliver…” She sighs, her eyes instantly filling with tears as she pulls the ornament from the box, clear happiness on her face as she takes it in properly. It’s a simple ornament to hang in a baby blue color, a small window allows for the most up to date sonogram of Leora next to the words ‘Leora’s First Hanukkah’ printed in elegant script.

“You like it?” Oliver questions, looking over at Felicity hopefully and she grins tearfully at him as she nods her head.

“It’s beautiful,” She sniffles, rising onto her toes to kiss him passionately once more. Oliver smiles proudly as they pull apart, bending down to place his hands on Felicity’s bump and press a kiss right above her belly button.

“We love you so much, baby girl,” He whispers to his daughter, smiling up at Felicity when her free hand tangles in his hair as she stares down at him in adoration.

“I love you,” She whispers and Oliver grins, standing up properly to wrap his arms around her properly and hold her close like the precious thing she is to him.

“I love you too.”

* * *

Felicity smirks as she looks around the campaign office the next night, the entire place covered in a decoration of some sort. Some of them Christmas, some of them Hannukah, and some of them celebrating their engagement. It’s a mismatch of overwhelming celebration that just somehow seems to work and it’s so her mother that it puts a bright smile on her face.

“This party is… it’s something,” Oliver comments from where he’s stood next to her, looking every piece the devilishly handsome mayoral candidate he is in his fancy suit. Felicity’s not ashamed to admit that they had to get redressed after he appeared in their room looking as good as he does.

She herself is dressed in a red dress that flows from her ribs down to where it ends mid-thigh in an attempt to conceal the baby bump the best she can. It’s not that she and Oliver are ashamed to admit that they’re pregnant to the population of Star City, it’s more that Oliver is totally terrified of giving Darhk any more ammo to use against them and Felicity can understand that. Leora and her safety have to be the priority right now.

“This is what happens when you allow my mother free reign,” Felicity counters with a small smirk, knowing that this could’ve been prevented had he not given into to her mother’s pleas to take over the decorating from his campaign team.

“She has the same pout as you do, you know I’m incapable of saying no to it,” Oliver pouts himself, looking down at Felicity with an expression that makes him look very sorry for himself. Felicity laughs and shakes her head, totally baffled at how he can be so cute when he’s literally one of the most dangerous men in the city.

“Still,” She sighs, shaking her head with a smirk.

“Oh, look, there’s Curtis,” Oliver points out and Felicity turns around, a bright smile spreading over her face as she spots her employee entering with who she assumes to be his husband.

“Curtis! I’m so glad you could make it!” Felicity calls and smiles when they spot her, the tall man leading his husband over with a bright smile of his own on his face.

“Is it me, or did you hire the US Army as your caterers?” Curtis questions, looking around at the extra security John managed to bag them through Lyla.

“They’re technically marines,” John comments from where he was lingering a few paces away, smiling at the two of them. “John Diggle, I work security for Mr. Queen.”

“Curtis Holt, I work for Mr. Queen’s fiancée,” Curtis counters as he shakes John’s hand, his eyebrows rising as he spots the size of John’s arms.

Felicity snorts as he stares at them for a long moment, clearly totally mesmerized and even Oliver smirks down at her, clearly amused by the whole exchange until the man next to Curtis clears his throat and the tall tech wizard blushes as he drops John’s hand.

“Oh right, this is my husband, Paul!” Curtis hastens to introduce to them all, looking more than a little as John excuses himself to go and check on something.

“Nice work, Curtis, he’s a hottie. Sorry, was that a little weird,” Felicity comments before she immediately regrets it, extending her hand for Paul to shake with a small wince. She’s starting to see why Oliver describes her and Curtis as two sides of the same coin.

“A little, but I’m married to Curtis so I’m used to it,” Paul chuckles, smiling amicably at all of them and Felicity smiles, feeling calmed by his composure.

“Sorry. I’d say it’s the baby but my brain to mouth filter doesn’t work at the best of times,” Felicity blushes, gesturing between her stomach and her head with a roll of her eyes as the three men around her chuckle.

“You’re fine,” Paul assures her, smiling warmly at her in a way that makes her feel so relaxed, she can see what endeared her employee to him.

“Oliver, can I steal you for a second? The fire department chief’s here,” Alex questions as he appears next to them, smiling at Felicity apologetically.

“Very nice to meet you, Paul, and to see you again, Curtis,” Oliver comments with a smile to the two men who both nod with smiles of their own. Oliver then bends to whisper in Felicity’s ear, his hand soothing as it rubs over her back, “Be back in a sec,” He assures her with a kiss to her temple, and then he’s gone.

Felicity smiles, watching him for a moment as he mingles so well with the people who are supporting his campaign before she turns back to Curtis and Paul, “So, how long have you two been married?”

“5 years right about now,” Paul smiles, looking over at Curtis with such adoration in his eyes and Felicity knows that she and Oliver are going to be that couple too. She knows that it doesn’t matter how long they’re together, nothing will ever stop her from looking at Oliver like he’s the most incredible thing in her life.

“Oh a winter wedding, it must have been beautiful,” Felicity smiles as she looks between the two of them. It’s odd, she knows Curtis so well, but she knows next to nothing about his home life or his marriage.

“It was summer actually. We got married on a scuba diving boat near the Great Barrier Reef,” Curtis grins proudly and Felicity smiles, loving how much they clearly adore each other.

“I hid the ring in a seashell at the bottom of the reef,” Paul confirms and Felicity smiles at the way Curtis immediately rolls his eyes. It’s clear this is some sort of inside joke with the two of them and it’s sweet to see the way they banter.

“And you are lucky I found it.”

“Well, you never would have found it if I put it in the dessert like straight people do. Have you seen him eat a piece of cake? He doesn’t chew, he inhales.”

Felicity finds herself bursting out into laughter at Paul’s words. Bless Oliver and his poor attempt to propose using the souffles that was so rudely interrupted by the arrival of Thea and Laurel. She’s literally snorting at the implication of what Paul’s said and she gains herself some very odd looks from Curtis and his husband. 

“Felicity? It wasn’t that funny,” Curtis comments with a snort, and Felicity blushes, shaking her head as she catches her breath and stops her tirade of laughter.

“No, no, I’m sorry. It’s just… Oliver almost proposed months ago using souffles,” She manages to explain and Paul’s eyes immediately blow wide.

“Oh I didn’t mean any insult,” He comments quickly but Felicity shakes her head, waving him off.

“No, don’t be silly! It didn’t work out anyway, just made me giggle,” Felicity assures him, her giggles only getting worse when Oliver appears against next to her. He sends her a curious look but Felicity just sends him a warm smile, letting him know that it’s not anything important.

“I’m back,” He comments with a small smile after Curtis and Paul excuse themselves to start circling the room.

“So you are,” Felicity smirks up at him, turning into his embrace when he wraps his arms around her waist to tug her closer.

“Where’s your mom? I had a question about something for her,” Oliver frowns as he looks around and Felicity frowns too, stepping back to interlock their fingers instead as she leads him over to where she thought her mom last was.

She freezes where she’s stood when she sees her mother, interlocked in an embrace with _Quentin Lance,_ clearly flirting and close to kissing.

“I think she’s… Oh! Ew! I am never going to be able to unsee that,” Felicity finds herself exclaiming, her voice rising loudly than she intended and alerting her mom and Quentin to their presence. Donna and Quentin’s eyes both widen, the two of them bursting into giggles like two kids who have been caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

“Hon,” Oliver snorts from his spot next to her, shaking his head at her antics and turning her around when she tries to walk away.

“Um, sweetie, Oliver, I’d like you to meet my boyfriend, Quentin,” Donna explains with a wide grin, looking between the three of them with a giggle and a clearly happy expression. Felicity is just totally floored, she had no idea her mom was even looking to date again, let alone date the father of one of her best friends?

“She’s your mother?”

“He’s your boyfriend?”

Felicity and Quentin speak at the same time, both of them looking between each other with a deep frown as they try to make sense of the situation before them.

“Oh my god,” Oliver snorts again and Felicity elbows him as she attempts not to spiral as she attempts to understand what this is before her.

“Did you say boyfriend?” Quentin suddenly questions, looking at Donna with a confused but happy expression.

“Do you two know each other?” Donna asks, her eyes flitting between Quentin and Felicity with a frown, and Felicity’s eyes widen as she realizes that her mother has no idea. Quentin has become sort of like a father figure for her recently and for her mother to be dating him without even realizing it? That’s _so_ odd to her.

“I just thought it was like a date or something,” Quentin presses on as he stares at Donna and Felicity hears Oliver snort again.

“Oh my god,” He whispers under his breath and Felicity turns to glare at him, but she has to admit that his amused expression calms her.

“Did you need something, honey?” Donna questions, tilting her head with a frown as she looks at Felicity.

“Oliver…” She groans, knowing that it was her fiancé who was looking for her mother in the first place.

“No, it’s okay. It can wait. Have a nice dance, guys,” Oliver smiles warmly, squeezing the hand that’s still interlocked with his own and they start to walk away.

“Hang on, um… Laurel doesn’t know,” Quentin calls out, wincing a little but Felicity shakes her head, turning to look at him with a reassuring wince.

“Yeah, I’m going to find a very hard wall to bash my head against so that I don’t know either,” She comments, gesturing over towards the other side of them.

“She means congrats,” Oliver corrects with a smirk before he allows Felicity to tug him away and leave Donna and Quentin to… whatever it is that they’re doing.

“Ugh,” Felicity huffs as she turns back to Oliver when they a safe distance away, burying her head into his chest with a groan.

“Felicity, your mom deserves some happiness. So does Quentin for that matter,” Oliver chuckles as his arms close around her, rubbing a soothing hand over her back.

“I agree! I just don’t need to see it,” Felicity sighs with a huff and Oliver snorts, reaching down to gently force her to look up at him. She stares with her chin resting on his chest, a pout on her face, and looking up at him through her lashes. She knows she’s acting like a 13 year old who just caught her mother kissing someone and not the adult expecting her own baby like she is but there’s just something so… weird about that whole situation to Felicity.

“You’re adorable,” Oliver comments with a smile, bending so that their noses are touching.

“Shut it,” Felicity pouts but it holds no fire or bite as she doesn’t even move an inch back from where they stand, faces millimeters apart.

“You okay? Not too tired? Back not aching too much?”

“Hmm, I’m fine. I will be even better when we get home and you deliver on that back rub you promised,” Felicity smirks and Oliver chuckles, bending to finally press their lips together.

All of a sudden, the sound of gunfire sounds through the campaign office and Felicity is immediately transported back to yesterday at the bay as people around them begin to scream and Oliver moves in front of her, shielding her with his entire body as he begins to assess the situation.

The explanation comes as Darhk and a posey of ghosts round the corner, all of them holding guns. Oliver rushes forward, clearly going to attack but is stopped by Darhk’s magic as he simply holds up a hand, freezing Oliver in place with his magic. Darhk has a bright smile on his face and he walks over to the confectionary table near the entrance, picking up a glass of wine  
  
“Malbec. Nice. How did you know that was my favorite red? So full bodied, so full of life. Unlike your security outside. Oh, and in my defense, they fired first,” He smirks around at them, his other hand coming up to freeze Thea and John when they make a move to attack. “I guess my invitation was lost in the mail. I'm only kidding. It's not my kind of scene anyway. Hmm. I'm only here to have a word with the man of the hour.”

“What do you want?” Oliver grits through his teeth, clearly seriously pissed off at Darhk ruining yet another of his events and putting his family and supporters at risk. Felicity stumbles backward when one of Darhk’s ghosts begins to make his way towards her.

“Well, something I can't have, apparently. Your loyalty, your allegiance. I told you there would be a price to pay if you refused,” Darhk comments darkly, maintaining his smirk as he turns to look at Felicity with an expression that makes her blood run cold. Felicity can spot the way Oliver’s eyes dart immediately to her in panic even though he cannot move his head.

“I made that decision, not these people. Let. Them. Go,” Oliver bites out in a dark tone and Felicity knows that he’s reaching almost feral levels of fear as Felicity is shoved back further as the ghost approaching her is joined by another.

“Oh, I wish I could do that. I really do. But sometimes the best way to teach someone a lesson isn't to punish them, it's to punish the ones he cares about the most.”

It’s only as Darhk speaks that Felicity realizes she’s being pushed back by his henchmen until she bumps into Thea and the two women and John are surrounded by ghosts. Her eyes search around wildly for something, _anything,_ that could help but her attention is distracted when Darhk releases the hold he has on Oliver, sending him flying not only through the campaign office, but through the windows to the back office.

“Oliver! Oliver!” She screams as loudly as she can, moving to rush after him but two men appear on either side of her and she’s helpless to fight the grip they have on her as they begin to drag her from the building.

All she can do is scream and hold faith that wherever they’re taking them, Oliver will find them before it’s too late for her and Leora.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With Darhk's plans setting into motion and with Felicity, Thea, and John gone, Oliver fights to find his fiancée and unborn daughter before it's too late.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys, sorry this update took so long. Life is a little crazy right now and finding motivation, especially for something as intense as this chapter, has been difficult. But I had a breakthrough today and here we are! 
> 
> TW // please check the updated tags for a full list of warnings but this chapter deals with the endangerment of an unborn child, kidnapping, anxiety, and describes symptoms of panic attacks, but a reminder that this is not and will not become a story that deals with miscarriage. if any of those things may be triggering to you, please do not read this chapter, if you want a summary of what this chapter entails so as to be able to continue with the story, drop me a comment or contact me on twitter (@smoaksmile), but please look after yourself and your mental health first <3

By the time Oliver comes around, the entire party is chaos. 

Alex is attempting to herd people outside and to their cars whilst avoiding the dead bodies, Quentin is trying to calm the people who are freaking out, and Oliver stumbles through the glass all over the office floor to the main area of the office. His eyes flit around nervously, looking for any sign of his family. 

He comes up empty. John, Thea, and  _ Felicity…  _ they’re nowhere to be seen. 

“Oliver! Oliver! They took her, they took my baby! She’s gone!” Donna suddenly appears before him and Oliver’s eyes widen at the implication of her words. 

Darhk… he has her. 

He has Felicity and he has Leora. 

“Felicity? Felicity!” He finds himself screaming despite knowing that they’re long gone by now. The panic within him is rising through his bones to the point that he’s positively thrumming with energy as he attempts to hold it all in. 

“She’s not here, she’s gone, they took her,” Donna screams next to him, tears running down her face, and Oliver freezes, the sight of her own panic doing nothing to calm him and help him assess the situation logically. 

He can’t think of logic right now, only panic. 

“It’s okay, we’re going to find her. Queen, screw your head on, c’mon,” Lance’s voice cuts through the chaos, his hand snapping in front of Oliver’s face and he blinks, trying to force himself to focus. 

“Felicity, the baby, oh my god. He’s going to hurt them,” Oliver’s eyes widen as he thinks through the repercussions of everything that just happened. His fiancée, his child… Darhk has  _ magic,  _ Felicity will be completely helpless. 

“Not if you get there quick enough. C’mon, you’ve got to use your head right now,” Lance presses, snapping his fingers in front of Oliver’s face again but he cannot get out of his head right now. That’s the issue, it’s whirring with all the possibilities, all of the way Darhk might be taking the most precious things in the world to him right now. 

“I can’t… I… What if they’re already hurt?” 

“Oliver! That’s my baby and my grandbaby they’ve got. You’ve  _ got  _ to find them,” Donna frowns, her eyes wide and terrified as she stares at Oliver, and with a jolt, he realizes just how important this is. He  _ needs  _ to find them, it’s not a matter of if. 

“How do I…” 

“We gotta go,” Quentin states simply, gesturing to the door and Oliver frowns, looking between him and Donna in confusion. 

“Go where?” The small blonde speaks Oliver’s own thoughts and Quentin shakes his head. He stares at Oliver and Oliver nods, something within him sparking. 

“Use the police precinct resources to find them! Stay here, Donna, the security will make sure you’re safe,” Oliver tells her, nodding his head as he realizes that they need to get to the bunker so that they can assess the situation before they make a move. They’ve got to be careful here, the worst thing they can do is run in all guns blazing. There’s no room for mistakes. Oliver’s glad that Quentin realizes that. 

“That’s the Green Arrow I know,” Quentin tells him as they pass through the door once they’re out of Donna’s hearing range. 

* * *

Felicity is exhausted. 

She’s fought non-stop from the moment Darhk appeared in Oliver’s offices and she’s exhausted. 

She has no concept of how long it’s been since Darhk’s ghosts took her, John, and Thea but she’s praying Oliver finds them soon. She doesn’t know where they are or what their plans for them are, though the large individual cages they were shoved into before they were suspended from the ceiling give her some pause. There’s clearly a trap floor in the bottom of the cage and that terrifies Felicity as she feels her stomach flutter. She doesn’t know if it’s Leora or her own nerves but she’s really not a fan either way. 

She glances over at John who is in the cage next to her and he stares right back at her.  _ It’s okay,  _ he mouths, looking steady as ever but Felicity knows him well enough after all this time to see the nerves behind his eyes. 

Thea is wriggling around in her cage on the other side of John, the rather shoddy looking metal structure swinging wildly on the chain holding it up. Felicity winces at the way the small girl is thrashing around, knowing that she’s covering herself in cuts and bruises the strength with which she’s fighting. 

All of sudden, the doors to the room they’re in opens, and Darhk stalks in, more ghosts joining him, but it’s not the villains that scare her. 

“Oliver!” She can’t help but call out as she spots her fiancé walking into the room flanked by Darhk’s men. He looks relatively calm, or at least he did until he spots the three of them suspended from the ceiling. When her voice alerts him to their presence, Felicity can spot the change in him instantaneously and he immediately begins to fight despite the ghosts that grab him to stop him from rushing forward. 

“Felicity? Oh my god. Darhk, what are you  _ doing?”  _ He growls, his voice deep and dark in that almost feral manner that Felicity has only seen a few times since she signed on with him and John all those years ago. It tells her one thing… he’s terrified. 

“Humanity needs a reset, Oliver. You are the one person in the way of letting me do that. I’m taking matters into my own hands,” Darkh explains slowly, casually walking towards them as if he’s discussing the weather and not his imminent plans to kill Felicity, John, and Thea. 

“The plan was that I hand myself over and you let my friends go!” Oliver screams and Felicity winces as he pulls against the tight grip that four of Darhk’s ghosts have got on him. 

“I think if you replay that conversation in your mind, that bargain was only implied at best. And even so, bad guy, remember?” Darhk laughs, shrugging his shoulders, and Felicity would have time to ponder on how terrifying his amusement is if she weren’t screaming as the chain above her sudden slackens and she falls about three feet. 

“Let them go!” Oliver yells as Thea and John’s yells join in with Felicity’s to create a cacophony of terror. Google, Felicity’s heart is beating fast. She stares down at Oliver, willing him to look at her. She needs to see him right now. All she can think about is the image of Leora from their last scan and how much she wants to meet her in the flesh. 

She’s terrified that Darkh is about to take that all away from her. 

“I will, existentially speaking.” 

“You do this, you lose all your leverage over me,” Oliver growls, almost horizontal as he fights against the grip of those holding him. Felicity screams again as the cage drops a little more and Oliver’s gaze flies up to her. Those bright blue eyes she’s stared into so many times, the ones she so adores, are so filled with fear and terror that Felicity practically feels it thrumming through her. 

This can’t be it, this can’t be how it goes… they’re supposed to have so much more time. They need more time. 

“Wrong. As long as they’re alive, you have something to fight for. By killing them, I take that away. Don’t worry, it’s painless… mostly,” Darhk laughs and Felicity squeezes her eyes shut as she prepares herself for the worst. All she can think of is Oliver and Leora, the images she’s dreamt up in her mind of him holding their sweet little miracle. It’s so beautiful and she focuses on that, bringing her legs up to her chest in a probably hopeless attempt to protect her baby girl. 

“She’s pregnant, you sick monster!” 

Oliver’s voice reigns out above all the noise of the chains and John’s yells and Thea’s screams and the whole room seems to fall silent. Felicity freezes, looking up from her knees in terror to see Oliver looking hopeless. She knows that he felt like he had no other choice, that appealing to Darhk’s humanity, his daughter, might be the only way to save them. Felicity is just terrified, however, that they’ve just revealed their biggest and most precious secret to a man seemingly without a heart. 

“She is? Well isn’t that an interesting development? I thought there might be some indication of that but you just never know with women these days. Well then, that does change things… or does it?” Darhk smirks with a raised eyebrow, looking between Felicity and Oliver with an intrigued expression. Felicity swears he just needs a high-backed spinning chair and a white cat and he really could do a pretty good impression of a Bond villain. 

“DARHK, I SWEAR TO GOD!” Oliver screams and Felicity winces as she prepares herself for the drop to come anyway. 

“Bring her down, restrain him,” Darhk orders, and Felicity releases a sigh. She’s not sure that what’s about to happen is any safer, but she’ll feel better about Leora’s safety once she’s back on the ground. 

She looks over at John and Thea as she’s lowered and they both watch her intently, their expressions unreadable as she’s released from the cage as Oliver is held tight by the ghosts surrounding him. 

“Oliver! Oliver!” She screams as she finally climbs out of the dark and dingy metal box, wobbling on the heels of her shoes. It’s hard to imagine that just a few hours ago, she was so excited about the holiday party and the opportunity to celebrate all the good in their lives… now look where they are. 

The air is taken out of her lungs as Darhk’s hand suddenly flies up and Felicity chokes as she realizes that he’s holding her with his magic. She begins to hover just above the ground as he raises her up and she kicks and fights as much as she can but nothing works… he’s controlling her with something much stronger than manpower. 

“LET HER GO!” Oliver screams, his voice dark and growling, and Felicity can tell that he’s about to go feral from the tone of it. Darhk’s other hand flies out to hold him as he’s about to break free from the ghosts and Felicity glares as hard as she can as he approaches her, a sick smirk on his face. 

“Well, where would be the fun in that? Oh yes, I can’t believe I wasn’t aware of this sooner. I do so love children, total blessings. Tell me, do you know if it’s a boy or girl?” Darhk questions and Felicity sees red as he reaches out to touch her rounded stomach. She fights against it as hard as she can but his magic is just too strong and the most she manages are a few futile kicks to his thighs. 

“Get. Off. Me.” She bites in her most dangerous voice, the anger bubbling within her in a way she’s never felt before. She’s been filled with hatred for villains they’ve faced before but nothing matches this. Darhk is touching her baby and that’s something she can’t let go of. 

“Goodness, such hostility. What a shame,” Darhk shrugs, and before Felicity realizes what’s happening, she’s flying backward a few feet to land on her butt on the cold concrete of the floor. 

“AGH!” 

“DARHK!” 

“Oh, she’s fine, just a little tumble,” The blonde comments with a chuckle, and Felicity groans as she scurries back away from him, taking a mental note of the fact that she can still feel Leora kicking within her. She breathes a sigh of relief, praying that it means the fall wasn’t fatal. 

All of a sudden, the room breaks into a flurry of activity. The loud sound of a scream comes from the top corner and Felicity’s eyes widen as she looks up to see Laurel and someone dressed in Oliver’s Green Arrow suit. Shock runs through her more intensely as she realizes that it’s Malcolm Merlyn of all people. 

Just as they jump down from the platform and begin to fight the ghosts, Oliver breaks free from Darhk’s magic and he’s on Darhk in an instant, capitalizing on his moment of distraction to grab him by the collar and throw him back against the wall. 

“If you think I won’t fight you every single day until the last breath leaves my body if you do this, you are sorely mistaken. I do not care what powers you possess, no one goes near my fiancée or my children and gets away with it!” 

Felicity doesn’t know what to do or where to look as Laurel moves to carefully release John and Thea and Malcolm continues to fight the ghosts in the midst of the room. Her attention is drawn, however, when Darhk throws Oliver back across the room in a similar way as he did to her. 

“Oliver!” 

Darhk turns to his men and nods, most of them vacating the room as Laurel and Malcolm continue to fight and take down those left. Oliver scrambles to his feet and is by her side in a shot, pulling her to her feet and into his arms in seconds. 

“C’mere baby, oh my god, I thought I’d lost you,” He breathes in relief and Felicity’s eyes fill with tears as she clings to him, her hands fisting in the fabric of his coat jacket as if he’s the only real thing in the world. 

“I’m here, I’m here. Oh my, I…” She babbles back, unable to form proper words. Everything that they just went through, the reality of it is beginning to sink in and she falls into his arms, her tears quickly turning into sobs. 

“Shh, it’s okay, it’s okay,” Oliver soothes, his hand running over her messy hair as he presses a few kisses to everywhere his lips can reach. Her head, her ear, her neck, it doesn’t matter, and Felicity sinks into the reassuring feeling of it. 

“Is that my father?” Thea questions as she stumbles towards them and the two of them pull apart, reality setting in as their surroundings come back into focus. 

“We better go,” Felicity sighs and Oliver nods, grabbing Thea as he looks back at John with a nod before he rushes them all towards the exit. 

The next five minutes are a blur of dodging, fighting, and running but they finally make it outside. Felicity turns away, burrowing into Oliver’s waiting arms as he checks they’re all out before he presses a trigger and the building explodes before them. 

“Oh my god,” Thea sighs, sinking into Laurel’s embrace as they stand there in the cold, all of them clearly still in shock about what happened. She bats Malcolm away as he attempts to check on her, and Felicity takes a deep breath as she starts to shake. 

“Oliver,” She breathes out, her hand fisting in his coat as she feels her breathing begin to spiral out of control. She just almost lost her baby in there. Just like that, in an instant, the miraculous life within her was almost gone. 

“Are you okay?” Oliver immediately asks, looking down at her in concern and Felicity takes a deep breath, calming a little as his arms wrap around her. 

“I… I think so,” She breathes a little shakily, clinging to him tightly as tries to shake off that awful sinking feeling still within her. 

“Leora, is she…?” Oliver asks, the terror in his voice evident and Felicity takes a deep breath as she feels the tell-tale wriggles within her as if on cue. 

“I can feel her moving,” Felicity reassures him, allowing his hands to roam over her baby bump even though he can’t feel anything yet. He sheds his jacket, wrapping it over her shoulders, and Felicity sighs into the warmth, feeling better already just with his comfort. 

“We should go to the hospital,” John comments as he comes up beside them, looking down at Felicity concernedly. Felicity shakes her head, looking up at Oliver but it’s clear from the expression on his face that he agrees. 

“I am not taking any risks with you or the baby’s safety. Who knows what that fall did? You need to be checked over at the very least,” He tells her sternly, softening the blow as he lifts his hands to cup her cheeks soothingly. Felicity takes a deep breath, wondering why she’s even fighting at all. 

They’re right.

“I… okay.” 

“Honey?” Oliver asks, clearly sensing that there’s something she’s not telling him and Felicity sighs, her hands gripping his shirt as they stand in the freezing cold, a burning building raging behind them. 

“I… that fall, I… she could have died. We could’ve just lost her,” Felicity whimpers, her eyes filling with tears again as she speaks the words aloud, all that fear and terror rushing right back. 

“Baby,” Oliver sighs, smoothing a hand over her hair and Felicity knows he doesn’t know the right thing to say. She’s grateful for his presence but she knows there’s someone else she needs right now. 

“I… Mom, can you call Mom to meet us?” 

“Of course, whatever you need, baby,” He reassures her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. 

“I…” 

“Whatever you need, okay? I’m so sorry I couldn’t stop him, Felicity,” Oliver sighs, his arms wrapping around her once more and Felicity settles into his warmth, hearing the regret and blame in his voice. 

“You saved me, you saved  _ us,”  _ She assures him, pulling his hand into hers to rest it over Leora. 

“I wasn’t quick enough though. You never should’ve had to go through that,” He sighs regrettably but they all jump as something falls in the fire behind them and they look around, silently agreeing it’s time to get out of there. “I’ll call your mom and we’ll go to the hospital, okay?” 

“Okay.” 

“I love you,” Oliver tells her, his voice calm and gentle after everything and Felicity sighs, rising onto her toes to press a soft kiss to his lips. 

“I love you too.” 

* * *

By the time they make it to the hospital and rush inside, Oliver’s already called Donna and she’s waiting for them. Felicity rushes into her arms immediately and Oliver watches, sighing. 

That was such a close call, far too close for Oliver’s liking, and he’s fighting his every instinct to scoop Felicity up, wrap her in bubble wrap, and hide her somewhere halfway across the world that only he knows the location to. The thought of losing her and Leora… they came too close tonight. 

“Baby, oh my, I’m so glad you’re alright,” Donna sighs in relief, her hand coming up to cup the back of Felicity’s head and Oliver watches as his fiancée finally falls apart. 

“Mom.” 

“Felicity, sweetheart, are you okay?” Donna asks, pulling back a little to cup her baby’s face and Felicity sniffles, shaking her head. 

“I… I fell, I could’ve lost her,” She explains in the most heartbreaking tone and Oliver watches as Donna’s face falls, scooping Felicity back into her arms. 

“Oh, honey.” 

Oliver keeps an eye on them even as he walks over to the desk and explains to the receptionist at the ER what happened. He urges her to move Felicity up the list if possible, his worry settling into his bones like the worst sort of anxiety, the kind that thrums through your entire being until it’s difficult to clear your vision. The nurse assures him that with the baby, she’ll be seen as quickly as they can and urges him to take a seat with her. 

It’s a long ten minutes before they’re rushed through and an even longer hour of testing and checkups and finally an ultrasound until Oliver can breathe again as he learns that both Felicity and Leora are perfectly safe, the former only physically being slightly bruised. 

“Hey, hey, I’m okay, we’re both okay,” Felicity reassures him as the final nurse leaves, the two of them alone in the hospital room for the first time since they arrived. She reaches out for his hands, holding them tightly as she lifts them to her lips, and Oliver sighs, shaking his head as tears spring to his eyes. 

“I should’ve stopped him, I should’ve been stronger,” Oliver tells her, all his fear and anger and frustration from earlier flowing out as he looks at her. She’s so small in that hospital bed but she’s so strong, stronger than any of them really. 

“Oh, honey… there was nothing you could’ve done. But we’re both fine. Our little girl is a fighter, just like her dad, and we’re both going to be all okay, okay?” Felicity smiles softly, reaching up to wipe his tears away from his cheeks but Oliver just shakes his head, unable to get the image of her flying across the room out of his mind. 

“I just… what he did to you, it’s reprehensible,” Oliver swallows thickly, shaking his head as he fights the urge to throw up at the thought of Darhk’s complete inhumanity. 

“It is, and I am more determined than ever that we are going to bring that awful man down and we will create a safer world for our child to be born into,” Felicity nods, her expression determined with that familiar fight glowing behind her eyes. Not for the first time, Oliver wonders how on earth she got to be so strong, but he knows that she’s the one who has always given him the hope he needs to go on. 

“You really think we can do it?” 

“It’s us,” She states as if it’s the simplest thing in the world and Oliver sighs, a smile spreading across his face for the first time since Darhk arrived at the holiday party. 

“I love you so much, both of you,” He tells her honestly, his voice thick and his eyes shining with emotion. 

“And we love you with all our hearts. Leora’s is tiny, but she loves you with all of it,” Felicity grins and Oliver chuckles, thanking every deity he can think of for blessing him with such a woman. 

There’s a knock on the door and Oliver frowns as he turns to see Thea, holding a garment bag with a regretful look on her face. “Ollie? We need to go.” 

“Go? Go where? I’m not going anywhere, Speedy,” Oliver scoffs, completely baffled that his sister thinks he would be anywhere but by Felicity’s side right now. 

“Yes, you are,” Thea nods and Oliver shakes his head. 

“What? No, I’m not.” 

“You are. Thea and I organized a light switch on down by the bay. It’s the message we need to send right now, a message of hope and of unity. The city needs this,” Felicity explains softly, tugging on his hand to pull his attention back to her. He frowns at her words, completely baffled at the thought of even stepping out into the hallway. 

“And I need to be here, with you,” He insists, looking down at her imploringly but Felicity shakes her head with a smile, sitting up a little to cup his cheek. 

“We’ll be fine. My mom’s going to stay with us and Lyla’s just outside. Nothing will happen to me,” She tells him soothingly, smiling reassuringly but Oliver still frowns. 

“John’s set up a distraction in the car as well so that Darhk will think Felicity’s with you,” Thea adds from the doorway with a nod and Oliver’s brow furrows deeper. 

“Quentin’s tipped him off with that one as well. They won’t know I’m here,” Felicity nods, and Oliver sighs. He has to admit, they seem to have thought of everything, though Oliver has no idea when Felicity even had the time. 

“I… I don’t want to leave you,” He sighs, looking down at Felicity with a nervous expression. 

“I know, but it’s an hour max and we’ll be right here when you’re done,” She soothes, stroking her hand across his face in the way that always calms him down. 

“I… I don’t like this,” He adds and Felicity’s smile grows, tugging on his beard a little. 

“I know, my love, but you know it’s the right thing to do. Make a good speech, I love you,” She sends him off, basically leaving him no other option and Oliver sighs, knowing that she’s right. It’s important to inspire the city right now, if they don’t bounce back from this, the people of Star City will think they can’t either. 

“I love you too, so much,” He whispers before he presses a series of soft kisses to her lips and then bends to smatter kisses across her stomach through the fabric of her hospital gown. “And I love you, my sweet girl, Daddy will be back in a little bit.” 

* * *

Felicity is nervous as she sits in the hospital bed, watching the news play out with the story from earlier all over again. Oliver did amazingly at the light switch on, as she knew he would, inspiring everyone with his words, but he should be back by now and she’s growing increasingly anxious with every minute that passes without his appearance. 

“Mom? What do you think is taking so long? The event finished thirty minutes ago,” She finally asks, looking over at her mom sat in the chair next to her bed. 

“It’s probably just traffic, darling, you know what the roads are like at this time of night,” Donna smiles reassuringly, reaching out to hold her hand. 

“No, something’s wrong, I can feel it,” Felicity shakes her head, that anxiety rising within her. It’s the same feeling she had when Oliver left to go fight Ra’s last year and she’s terrified by that comparison. 

“Sweetheart, you need to rest,” Donna soothes as she tries to sit up, placing a hand on her shoulder to try and urge her to lay back down. 

“No, Oliver… he’s… something’s wrong,” Felicity shakes her head, her eyes locked on the TV as if they’ll tell her what’s happened. 

“Baby, you’re just paranoid, he’ll be here any minute now, I’m sure,” Her mother frowns, brushing a hand over Felicity’s hand but Felicity bats her away, shaking her head. 

“No,” She insists just as the TV rings with the sound of a news alert and the anchor begins to speak in a grave tone. 

“ _ News just in, what seems to be a deliberate attack on mayoral candidate, Oliver Queen, leaves one dead and Queen himself on the way to the hospital. His driver, Robert Long, suffered fatal shots through the glass of the limo and died on-site, whilst Queen seems to have been able to manoeuvre the vehicle away from the scene of the attack before collapsing from his own injuries just after he called the emergency services. It was thought that his fiancée, Felicity Smoak, was in the car as well, but that now seems to be false information. Miss Smoak, who is also pregnant with Queen’s child, was admitted to Star City General hours ago following a previous attack on Queen’s holiday party and has not been released. More news to come on Queen’s condition when we get it.”  _

“No.” 

“Honey,” Donna gasps, turning to Felicity as she begins to try and soothe her but Felicity just stares straight ahead as she feels her heart rate increase and sheer panic begins to set in. . 

“No, no, no, no, this can’t be happening,” She shakes her head, her body beginning to shake as she stares at the images on the screen of the limo Oliver was riding in. It looks battered to high heaven and all Felicity can see is the blood strewn out across the street. 

“Felicity, sweetheart, we don’t know anything just yet. Please, you need to rest or you’ll hurt the baby,” Her mother tries to soothe her but Felicity just shakes her head. 

“No,  _ no,  _ Oliver! Oliver! I need to see, Oliver!”

“Felicity, you need to calm down, you’re going to rip out your IV,” Donna explains, her voice rising to meet Felicity’s own volume, and the younger blonde fights against her mother’s arms to try and rush out the door. 

“Oliver!” 

“What’s going on in here?” A nurse asks as she rushes in, Dr. Schwartz following close behind. 

“She saw the news,” Donna explains with a frown, gesturing to the TV but Felicity only panics further as they all gather around her. She needs to see Oliver, why can’t they understand that? She needs him, she  _ needs  _ him. 

She can’t lose him, she can’t. 

“Okay, Felicity, I need you to breathe for me,” Dr. Schwartz tells her and Felicity hears her but she’s physically incapable of concentrating on anything other than Oliver right now. 

“Oliver!” 

“She’s not calming.” 

“We’re going to need to sedate her.” 

“Is that safe with the baby?” 

“Totally. She’ll do more harm if she carries on like this.” 

“Okay. Felicity, baby, this is for your own good, okay?” 

Felicity barely hears them as she continues to thrash around on the bed, trying to push past them and get outside so that she can find Oliver and reassure herself that he’s safe. He has to be safe, he has to be okay, she can’t go through what she did last year again, especially with Leora now. They need more time, they deserve so much more time. 

She’s so panicked that she doesn’t even feel the needle enter her arm as they sedate her and she falls asleep under the effects of the drugs with only one word on her lips. 

“ _ Oliver _ .” 


End file.
